Friday, December 25, 2009

Merry Christmas!

Luke 2 - The Birth of Jesus

1At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 2 (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. 4 And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. 5 He took with him Mary, his fiancĂ©e, who was now obviously pregnant.


6 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. 7 She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.

8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”


13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,


14 “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”


Merry Christmas Family and Friends. We pray that each of you are moved by the amazing gift that was given to us so long ago, in a manger, in a stable-The gift of a Savior, Jesus! Let's celebrate His love everyday and strive to become more like Him.

God Bless you all today and everyday. Becasue He firts loved us, The Peters'-Matt, Jenny, Emily, Katelyn, and Daniel

Christmas 2009

From recital to Christmas Programs to Christmas Eve at Grandma and Grandpa Peters

Christmas 2009 #2

Wow! Then on Christmas Eve we received an early visit from Santa. Then Christmas morning...blessed (and a little spoiled today :) )

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

experimenting!

Yes, I am experimenting with backgrounds and such. Hang tight and all will be back to normal in a few hours :)

Friday, November 27, 2009

Cookies & Thanksgiving

Katelyn made cookies all by herself the other day. They were yummy! She learned from the best! Then yesterday we had a fabulous feast at The Peters' for Thanksgiving. It was nice to see nana Franz up and around. The kids had a good time goofing off.

Sewing 101

There were two thing the girls wanted to do over vacation: sew and bake. And...we did them both! Here are some pictures of our sewing in action. It was so nice to sit and teach them something I love to do. They are both very bright, and of course, caught on quickly. I think I already know what we will be doing over Christmas vacation!!!

Sewing 101

Husky Awards

For the Month of November, Daniel and Katelyn both  received Husky Awards. Daniel was given the Character of the month award for being "Thankful." His teacher said "he always says please and thank you and is always greatful for others helping him." Way to go Daniel!!! Katelyn received a Husy Reader award for improving her reading comprehension scores. Good Job Kate! Love you both and am very proud of you (and Emily too!)

Husky Awards

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Halloween 2009

Here are some pics from our day!

Hillcrest Farms

Fun at Hillcrest Farms

Last weekend we went to Hillcrest Farms in Reedley to meet some friends, pick out our pumpkins and just play. If you have never been (and you live in the area), what's keeping you? There is so much for the kids to do. They can swing on a giant swing hung from a tree, swing on a tree rope, ride kid size tractors, take a hayride, jump aboard a kid sized train, and sooo much more. It's a perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
We met our friends, The Bakers, there and had some time to catch up and hang out. We can't wait for the Christmas season when we can go back and check out the trees and ride the train again. You should try it too!

Spider Lady Visits...

The Spider Lady came to Kinder and the kids got to hold the Tarantulas! How Cool is that?

Super Sports Star Saturday

We had a blast one Saturday, a few weeks back. After soccer, the kids showed off their skateboarding skills, rode bikes, cruised on their scooters, went Big-Wheelin', and drove the  tractor. I tried to get it all in pictures, but Little Miss Katelyn didn't want any part of it! Hmmm...not sure why since she is usually a ham. But, Daniel and Emily were not shy and didn't mind giving me an occasional grin. It's days like these that I sit back and count my blessings. It doesn't get much better than this.

Super Sports Saturday

It doesn't get much better than this...

Sunday, October 25, 2009

A bit tired...

Well, apparently I was a bit tired after I posted the last few sets of pictures, because I erased the posts that went with them. So.... Here is TAKE 2 of Daniel's Birthday, Fiesta Run, and More Soccer!

Daniel's 5th Birthday-My little guy, last born, sweet angel turned 5 on September 23rd. He started the day by having chocolate chip waffles and playing his new Nintendo DS. Then it was off to school for a field trip to Storyland/Rotary Park. This was his first ride on a bus too! We had a blast! Then he got to choose where he wanted to eat for dinner that night, followed by a party with friends and a bounce house a few days later. I know I have said it before, but "where does the time go?" It seems like they were just little babies...

We were privileged to run in the Reedley Fiesta Run on Saturday, October 10th, 2009 and raise money for WIGU (When I Grow Up). WIGU is a non-profit organization created by our church to raise money for children around the world. We were challenged to get 100 people to participate and raise $100 each. At last count there were 143 people from Redeemer's Church who ran (still waiting to hear how much we raised! Stay tuned) and it was truly amazing to see kids and adults, all walking and running to help others who are less fortunate. For more information, check out www.reedemerschurch.com click on "Videos" on the left hand side of the page and then scroll down to WIGU. Thanks so much to all of you who sponsored us in the run.

Yes...More soccer pictures. We are having a great season. Every other year the girls are on the same team. And other than 1 year that my friend Kate and I coached (or was it two?), they have had the best coaches-Josh and Orlando. They know the game, are naturals at working with children, and are great role models for both the kids and the parents. Go Knights!

Daniel plays on the Blazers and also has a great coach who is patient, enthusiastic and always encouraging. I love that at the end of the game he brings the kids in for a cheer, shakes hands with the other team, and then reminds the kids to "use your manners." Thanks Coach Aubrey.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Birthday-part 2

Bowling was a blast!!!

Emily's 10th Birthday

Emily invited 3 friends to come have pizza and then go bowling. We had a lot of fun!

Soccer Season Is Here!

Here is our first weekend of soccer!

My Superstars!

I am just so proud of my children. Even if they weren't "Superstars" in cross country and soccer, I would still be proud. They are turning out to be incredible people. Sure, I have the occasional moment when I wonder, "Did I do all that I could?" "Why do they act like ___ or do___?" "Am I a good mother?"

But then, God gently taps me on the shoulder and reminds me that He loves me and has entrusted Matt and I with these children. We love them and do the best that we know how to do. And, I think they are turning out to be pretty great little people!

So, below you can catch a few glimpses of their "shining moments" running cross country, practicing for soccer, and doing skooter stunts!!!

Superstars!

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

I am amazed!

Truly, I am just amazed at how quickly my children are growing. It seems like only yesterday that I was HUGE and Pregnant and waiting for that first little miracle to make her way into this world. I remember it like it was yesterday. But it was not yesterday, it was 10 years ago! And my oh my how our "Little Emily Mae" has grown since. I am so proud of the little lady she is becoming. I LOVE her freckles and beautiful smile. I love the way she still wants me to tuck her in and pray with her at night. I hope she never outgrows "me." It reminds me of the "I'll Love You Forever" story - "...as long as I'm living, my baby you'll be." Thanks for the blessing of being your mom Emily Mae. I love you (all the way to the moon and back) :)

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Daniel at school

On Fridays I help out in Daniel's class. It's always fun and I get to see first hand what he is learning for the week.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

It's Good To Be "Home Sweet Home"

After taking a break, and letting Emily blog for me, I am back to share our vacation with you. While Matt and I went on a fabulous Carnival Cruise to Catalina and Mexico for our anniversary, the kids hung out with family in So Cal. They had a blast! They really loved being able to spend time with Grandma Jill and Grandpa Nick and their cousins, Kyra, Camryn, and Maeli. They got to sleep in a tent, make "smarshmallows," have a spa night, etc. Daniel even got to go fishing with Grandpa! On the last night there, after Matt and I returned from our cruise, the rest of the family came over to celebrate my brother Chad's Birthday! It was a lot of fun. Good food, Great Company and Fun memories. Later that evening, I got to catch up with a friend and just relax.
But before leaving the next morning, we all went to my brother T.J.'s to see the new home that he and his girlfriend Erin are building. It is incredible! The kids each picked out their own rooms. Hee hee.

Matt and I had the best part of the deal though. We spent 4 days and nights doing whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted - no cooking, no cleaning, no kids! Well, at least not kids we had to take care of (but that's another story!). It was very relaxing. We went snorkeling in Catalina and met up with 3 dozen or so dolphins. It was amazing! Of course, the food and drinks on board were great, as were the shows and various activities. We almost hated to get off.

When we got off the ship, we spent the day down at HB with the kids and had tons of fun swimming and boogie boarding. The kids loved it! Except for the sunburns - it seems we missed a few spots here and there and they had a few places that were red later that evening. But, all is good now.

We are so blessed. We have always known that, but seeing the poverty and how many families live down in Mexico really made us appreciate even more all that we do have. I think we took away a lot more from Mexico than just souvenirs.

Summer Vacation

Summer Vacation 2

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Pictures!

Today was the day that we were going to take pictures with our cousins. We took all day to get ready.We painted our nails,put curlers in our hair and washed our new shirts because there were some wrinkles. Grandma Jill will take our curlers out later. We are all hoping it turns out good. Our cousins are Camryn, Kyra, and Maeli. After pictures Camryn and maybe Kyra will sleep over. I hope the pictures turn out good for Mom and Dad. I wonder what they are doing right now. They called us this morning and they said they were going to go snorkeling for a while. I'll write back after pictures.See you later.

Monday, July 27, 2009

Saying Goodbye.

It had come. The time when Mom and Dad had to leave on their cruise ship. We all had a hard time saying goodbye. OK maybe it was just hard for Daniel. We all took a couple pics close to the ship. Then Mom and Dad checked in and went onto the ship and waved. The ship didn't leave right then and there it left at like 5:00. We came home and on the way home both Daniel and Katelyn fell asleep. We went on the slip n slide to cool off then went on a scavenger hunt to find Kitty also known as Flower.Then we got wet again and ate tacos. Well I better go,Millie the dog really want me to play with her.I will right back when more happens.Bye!

~ Emily

Saturday, July 25, 2009

One More Day!

One more day! I am so excited because we are leaving early. Were leaving at like 10:00 or 11:00 in the morning. In the morning we will probably pack then eat. After we are ready we will take Pudgy to Grandma Carolyn and Grandpa Kenny's house. They have dogs that Pudgy likes to play with. So then we will head out. I just can't wait I think I will go to bed a little early tonight. The whole entire trip will be fun, except that it takes like 4-5 hours to get there.Plus to go home takes a couple of hours. I think we might bring our snow cone machine with us if it is in the hundreds. Grandma Jill has a cute pug that is always excited when we come over. Her name is Milly. Lots of our Aunts and Uncles have pets. I think it is time for a break.I will probably post some more at Grandma Jill's house.See you soon!

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Five More Days to go!



We have five more days until we head down south. Mom and Dad are going on a cruise they had won called Carnival Paradise. So that means Daniel, Katelyn, and I are staying with Grandma Jill and Grandpa Nick for a couple of days. I am so excited. I wanted to pack two days ago. I am really glad we are going to see our family but I am really going to miss Pudgy because we haven't left her alone since Rocky died. Mom's friends are going to come and take care of her. We are all going to have a blast. At Grandmas we will do all kinds of things like golfing, going to the arcade, the beach and maybe the movies. We are also going to be taking pictures with our cousins Kyra, Camryn, and Maeli. Hopefully we also get to play with our cousins Megan, Molli, and Wyatt. Mom and Dad will be doing a lot to.They will swim, play and relax. They might go out to eat somewhere fancy. Mom will probably tan. I bet there is even a spa. They are going to be gone for four or five days so I will really miss them. We haven't been away from both of them for that long before. We finally get to do some bonding time with the family. I really look forward to going and so does everybody else. I am so excited! I think I will start packing in three or four days. Katelyn wants to pack right now. I think it is almost time to go but a couple more things: I hope Pudgy stays safe and so does Mom and Dad. Well bye now. I will tell you more after the trip or maybe even post from Grandma's computer while I am there.

~Emily






Monday, June 22, 2009

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Boating May 2009!!!










































































































Every 2 Months!

Yes, if there is one thing I can say about my ability to blog, it is that I am very consistent-"Consistently lazy and behind!" It seems that I am a lazy blogger and only update every 2 months or so! But...it is summer and maybe I will have more time to keep all of you (my family and friends) updated more often. Here is a brief summary in photos of what has been going on since April 2009.


Daniel graduates from Preschool at Reedley College. Here is Daniel, Teacher Megan, Emily, Teacher Glenita, and Katelyn.



Our new pool toy!

More fun in the pool!


Selma Fire friends BBQ~Daniel and Jeremy

Jeremy and Taylor

Abigail and Katelyn

Natalie and Emily

Brian and Aiden

Taylor and Amber

Chicken Fights!!!

Justin and Emily lost!

Matt B and Ashley

Boating for the first time this summer!













Sunday, April 19, 2009

Spring Splash'n

During Spring vacation Emily, Katelyn, and Daniel begged to swim (even when it was overcast and about 70ish outside. So... I relented. They had a blast!

It warmed up enough over Easter weekend and we had luch outside with our family. It was, by all accounts, a "Perfect Day!" God is Good - All the time!



Farewell to Rocky




This week we said goodbye to our dog Rocky. It was a very sad day for all of us. Matt and I bought Rock and Pudgy in December 1998. They were to be our "babies" until we decided to enlarge our family. (Little did we know that we would get preganant-with our sweet Emily- a few weeks later!!!)

Since so many of you loved Rocky with us, we thought we would share some of our pictures with you. He and Pudgy were inseparable! She is going to have a hard time too.

So, here's to our "Rocky Road Peters"

Love you pup.







Monday, March 2, 2009

A Husband and Wife were reunited

Today, March 2nd,
a husband and wife were reunited...
11 grown children mourned the passing of their dad...
nearly 3 dozen grandchildren and great grandchildren cried tears for their grandpa...
and too many friends to count reflected on just how they knew R.B. Graber,
better known to us all as "Poppo."

Poppo was "The Leader of The Band"
And while the specifics of the song are not exactly the same,
the feeling behind the words is reflective of his life.


The Leader of The Band - Dan Fogelberg

An only child
Alone and wild
A cabinet makers son
His hands were meant
For different work
And his heart was known
To none --
He left his home
And went his lone
And solitary way
And he gave to me
A gift I know
I never Can repay

A quiet man of music
Denied a simpler fate
He tried to be a soldier once
But his music wouldnt wait
He earned his love
Through discipline
A thundering, velvet hand
His gentle means of sculpting souls
Took me years to understand.

The leader of the band is tired
And his eyes are growing old
But his blood runs through
My instrument
And his song is in my soul--
My life has been a poor attempt
To imitate the man
Im just a living legacy
To the leader of the band.

My brothers lives were Different
For they heard another call
One went to chicago
And the other to st. paul
And Im in colorado
When Im not in some hotel
Living out this life Ive chose
And come to know so well.

I thank you for the music
And your stories of the road
I thank you for the freedom
When it came my time to go --
I thank you for the kindness
And the times when you got tough
And, papa, I dont think i Said
i love you near enough --

The leader of the band is tired
And his eyes are growing old
But his blood runs through My instrument
And his song is in my soul --
My life has been a poor attempt
To imitate the man
Im just a living legacy
To the leader of the band

I am the living legacy
To the leader of the band.

God Bless you Poppo. So glad you are reunited at last with Mommo, the love of your life.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Terrific Kids

We are so proud of these two "Terrific Kids!" Each month teachers from each class select a student who exhibits the character trait for that month. Today, Emily and Katelyn both received the Terrific Kids Award for "Leadership" for their classes. Their teachers commented that Emily and Katelyn motivated the students in their class to get work done and were always willing to help out in the classroom. What a thrill to see both of our girls receive an award on the same day!!! Congratulations girls! Love you lots!!!!












Sunday, February 1, 2009

New Year

To start off the new year we spent a week down south. It was great to see my mom and step dad and just hang out with my brothers, sisters-in-law and nieces. We finally met our new niece/cousin, Maeli. She was so cute and already such a big girl!

Then we spent 4 days and nights at Disneyland. It was lots of fun! We were so spoiled! We stayed at the Disneyland Hotel. With the help of my dad and some of his and my mom's friends, we received lots of upgrades, discounts, and free admission!

The first night was the last night of the Christmas festivities. The castle was lit up and so beautiful. My dad arranged for the girls to go to the front of the castle and be a part of the fireworks balloon test. They were able to speak on the Disney Fire radio and set off a balloon to see if the wind was o.k. for the fireworks show. It was a special treat. Then we were given VIP seating in front of the castle to watch the show - Incredible!!!

This was the first time staying at the hotel. We played in the pools at the Grand Californian and Paradise Pier Hotels. We had breakfast at Goofy's Kitchen and met lots of characters. And, of course, took advantage of the short lines at the parks and rode almost every ride! It was truly a vacation to remember. The last night we met another new family member, our nephew/cousin Wyatt and had dinner with Megan and Molli too!

It was a memorable trip.


December 2008





No, you are not seeing things! Yes, I have really updated our blog (after 4 1/2 looooonnnggg months!!!) Here are a few pics from December (and Jan) - Snow at TL Reed (After School Rocks!), Emily, Katelyn and Daniel rockin' out in the garage with their new guitars and drums (Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Peters!), and the starting off the new year fishing with Grandpa Nick (we didn't even get a bite. The only one catching fish was the seagull!)

Sunday Shenanigans

So what did you do on this beautiful, un-winter-like, day? Our family headed up to a shooting range on a friend's property and took turn...