2nd Annual Peterson Halloween Party

Last year I had the awesome idea to start a Peterson Family Halloween party. I really wanted a chance for our family to be able to get together for a fun night and see all of our cute kids in their costumes. At the time I really wanted it to be something I did every year, my tradition my party type of thing. After the success of last years party Gwen asked if she could do it this year. I really, really wanted to say no that it was my thing but I did not want to be a selfish jerk and so I figured if someone else wanted to throw it I had to let them. So this year Gwen took charge of the party and that is how we came to be at the Farm on October 17th. 

I worked out that morning and then came home and showered but only had enough time to do my bangs and makeup before I was being pulled out the door. I brought my curling iron with the intention of curling my hair once it was dry but Kenedy asked if she could braid my hair and since that sounded easier I let her. She did an amazing job and my hair looked really cute thanks to her expert hands. She has really gotten good at this hair braiding gig!

I caught Bob trying to take a snooze and managed to get a picture before he woke up.

The older guys went outside for a little bit and shot some skeet. Alison took this picture of Ryker for me.

At about 4:30 we all started to get our kids dressed in costumes and ready for the party which was starting at 5. I thought little Sadie made an adorable bumblebee. She discovered the zipper on the side of her costume and spent most of the party unzipping and stripping off her costume. She makes me laugh and is the cutest little bug ever!

Kefford made these glasses out of th pipe cleaners Whitney had gotten out. After seeing his picture he decided he needed to draw on a scar and become a drunk Harry Potter. Not sure I appreciate the drunk part of his fun but he makes me laugh and it didn't last very long. Pretty much long enough for me to take some pictures.

Any time the kids get to be with their cousins is happy time! I love how close my kids are with their cousins and I love that they are best friends with each other. Jeremy and Gwen bbq'd hotdogs and hamburgers and the rest of us brought finger foods. I made candy corn jello and I forgot to take a picture of the finished product but trust me when I say they were super cute and a big hit! The kids loved jumping on the trampoline and there were plenty of games to keep the kids occupied and happy.

Brielle, Rylee and Qiana

The first part of the day Sadie would give me the side eye look like she was trying to figure out who I was and why I was talking to her. By the time we got to the party she was more comfortable with the idea of me and instead of weird looks I got happy smiles. I really love this kid!

Isabelle

Trying to get all of the kids together in one picture is always a chore. I sent Kenedy over with my camera when I saw what was going on and she took one (kind of) group shot and then she zeroed in on different people. The kids were all gathered in the first place because Gwen bought a piñata and they all wanted a turn to hit it. The funniest part of the day was when James was hitting the piñata, he gave it a wack or two and then the thing fell on him. It didn't hurt him at all, it was just super funny!

Xander looked so cute in his cow costume eating his chocolate.

Tayvia was trying to open her sucker and was determined to do it without help. I am pretty sure she succeeded. 

Rylee took over at the ring toss game and was helping her little cousins. It makes my heart happy to see my big kids loving on and helping the littles. They are so good with them!

James 

Charlotte 

standing in back: Lance, Brielle, Qiana and Rylee

secondish row: Xander, Grayson, Jaeger, Beckham, Asher, Avynlea, Mikayla and Ally

Frontish row: James, Jenna, Charlotte, Audrey, Brooke, Tayvia, Madison, Sadie and Isabelle

Doughnuts on a string was a popular game with some of the kids. I am pretty sure the piece of doughnut on the ground that Qiana is picking up is the same piece of doughnut put back on the string for her to try again in the second picture. A little dirt never hurts!

This is one of my favorite pictures from the party. I love how Brielle looks and think she has the perfect kitty attributes!

Ally and Avy liked the doughnut eating as well

It was a fun party and I loved being with everyone and having this opportunity to visit and socialize!

Picking Pumpkins

Yesterday we went out to the farm around lunchtime to hangout and visit before the Halloween Party at Jeremy and Gwens that night. I have to admit I really wanted to stay at home for most of the day and then head out to the Farm right before the party and just go to that. I was hoping to get things done at home and maybe have some time to just kick back. I was the minority in my opinion and this time the majority won. Looking back on this day I am really glad things turned out the way they did. I had a lot of fun spending time with Keffords sisters, visiting and crafting and enjoying each others company. I also got to spend some time visiting with Sara, Dustins wife, and that was really nice because I don't get a lot of chances to do that since they live in Utah.

Another really fun thing I got to do was visit the Farms Pumpkin Patch. Rylee, Avynlea and a bunch of cousins came along with Kefford driving the Gator. The Pumpkin Patch was huge! All of the third graders at the elementary school got to have a field trip to the patch on Wednesday to pick pumpkins and so it was pretty picked over but I still managed to find some awesome pumpkins to take back home with us. I kept finding more and more that I liked and Bob and Alison kept encouraging me to take more. Sadly, even though I picked out maybe 10 only 6 could fit back in the expedition with us. I was totally happy with those 6 beautiful pumpkins, I love pumpkins and think they are so pretty in color and unique in shape, they make my porch look amazing!

Jenna Andros, Rylee Peterson, Brooke Andros, Isabelle Peterson and Maddie Martensen

The little brown head in the front with Kefford is Audrey Peterson

Football game with Cousins

Alison really tries hard to support my kids and be at their events the best she can and I really love that about her. She came to watch Kenedy cheer at her last home game. Dustin and Sara were in town visiting so she brought Isabelle and Audrey along with Trista to come and watch. They could only stay until halftime but it was long enough for them all to watch Kenedy do what she loves. I brought Ryker, Avynlea and Rylee with me so they could be with their cousins and Kefford decided to come along as well. This was not a good game to come to because Meridian did really bad. They usually do much better then the way they played today but they were up against a really good team. Kefford walked home after halftime because he was bored and Ryker and Avy managed to talk their way into helping out at concessions. By the end of the game it was just me and Rylee sitting watching our team lose. At least we had a really cute cheerleader to watch!

Trista and Kenedy

Kenedy, Audrey, Avynlea, Rylee and Isabelle

Trista and Avynlea kept trying to take a selfie but Rylee kept photo bombing. They were getting frustrated but I thought it was pretty funny. Ha!

I never managed to get Alison to pose for a picture with our favorite cheerleader. This ending of a hug was the best I could get. 

Me and my Rylee

Homecoming Dance

I did my makeup a little different on this day, I put eyeliner on my waterline, and decided to take a couple pictures to see how it really looked. I did look in the mirror but it is a different perspective seeing it on film. I don't think I like it very much, I think it makes me eyes look too small. So eye makeup test done :).

Saturday was the day of the Homecoming Dance. The cheerleaders are in charge of the dance every year, it is one of their fundraisers. I volunteered to do some of the fruit kabobs and that morning I cut strawberries and peeled clementines and had Avy and Rylee put them together for me. It was later that I found out Rylee was sick and so I really hope that none of her germs transferred onto the fruit. oops! Later when I took the kabobs to the school I dropped them off and then saw another Mom who also volunteered to bring kabobs bring hers in. Mine looked pretty pathetic next to hers and I felt dumb that maybe I should have made them more elaborate. Later when Kenedy came home I asked her about them and asked if they looked really sad and she said that actually mine were the first ones gone. She didn't even get to have one of the ones we made. Yes! That makes me the winner! Hahaha. My frown was definitely turned upside down by that turn of events. 

Kenedy decided to go to Homecoming with a group of friends. A couple of them had dates but most of them went stag. Trying to find a modest dress was so stinking hard. I did not want to spend a ton of money and everywhere we looked they were so short and strapless. I was out to lunch with a friend the Monday before the dance and I started getting pictures of dresses sent to me from Lana. She knew my dilemma and was out looking for a tie for her son and was looking through the dresses for Kenedy. I was not liking any of the pictures she was sending until she sent this dress...

It looked perfect in the picture and since I was not even 5 minutes away from where she was at I told her I would be right there and booked it to Ross. After inspecting it I figured we could cut it at the knee and then add a strap and give it a bit of a cap. I bought it and hoped that Kenedy would like it. I had to rush off to volunteer at the school and on my way I called Kenedy and told her she needed to come to the elementary school, get the dress out of the car and take it over to the Bruggers so that April could look it over.  I do sew but seeing as how I have never doctored a formal I was not really comfortable with the idea of doing it myself. I have another friend in the ward who has done a lot of formal makeovers and so I called her to see if she would help us out. I ended up cutting the bottom and hemming it and April Brugger did the top for us. It turned out so cute and Kenedy loved it! 

Kenedy borrowed some heels from her friend and they made her so tall. She wanted a picture taken of her with Kefford because she was about as tall as he was. Unfortunately for her he would not cooperate for the picture and stood on his toes.

I missed the meeting where the cheer parents signed up for the different committees. I was not really bummed about that but I did have the thought that it would be fun to chaperone at the dance. A week before the dance I sent an email to the coach asking if I could chaperone, she sent back a reply that said absolutely, so I was good to go. The night before, I woke up in the middle of the night in a panic about this job I took on. I really do not know what I was thinking. I was not going to know anyone there and not really being friends with any of the either cheer Moms I realized I doomed myself to a night of being a loner loser. I did not know what to do, I did not want to go anymore but I felt terrible backing out, even though they really did not need me. That was the day that Rylee got sick and as sad as it was her having a high fever and not feeling good I realized I had my out. So I got myself out of being a loser at this high school dance. Phew. When I dropped off the kabobs I took a moment to check out all of the decorations and I was so impressed. I took a few pictures of my favorites things. Oh and the theme was Circus.

I went to one High School formal when I was a teen and that was my Senior Prom. My friends and I decided to stay the night at one friends Aunts house the night before Prom so she could do our hair and make-up then we all met up with our dates and parents at another friends house for pictures. At the time I didn't think anything of it, choosing to get ready with friends and not have my family a part of the process. It was only much later that my Mom told me that she was a little hurt to be left out of the getting ready process and looking back I really wish I would have done things differently. So I was really happy when Kenedy asked me to do her hair and makeup. I thought briefly as I was getting her ready that I needed to ask someone to take a picture but it was a fleeting thought that never came to pass. I didn't take any pictures of her at home because I was planning on taking her pictures when I took her to the park to meet up with her group for pictures. As I was getting there with Kenedy and her friend Ashlynn looking for a place to park, Kenedy realized what I had in mind, staying and taking pictures, and informed me that it was a bad idea because nobody else would have their parents there and me being there would be really awkward. I was really hurt and didn't have much to say about that. I just dropped her off and went home. I regret doing that and wished I would have said too bad and insisted on staying for five minutes so I could take a few pictures myself. But I went home feeling sad, rejected and without any pictures. I called Kenedy and told her to make sure to get pictures of her hair and makeup because I really wanted some. I am thinking she forgot until after the dance because the pictures she sent me were clearly taken after she had done some partying.

I put fake lashes on her but even without the lashes this girl has some killer eyes! She is so beautiful and I had so much fun helping her get ready!

Shelby, Kenedy and Sydney 

Kenedy and Ashlynn

I did not hear a lot about the dance when I asked Kenedy about it but I know she had a really good time and I am glad that she was able to go, have fun and do it modestly.

Makeover Sunday

Sunday night we were all hanging out in the Living Room when Kenedy asked Rylee if she could give her a makeover. Rylee said yes but only if she got to do a makeover on Kenedy. Done Deal! Avynlea then asked me if we could do the same and I said sure. Oh boy did we have some giddy girls with the idea of getting to do makeovers. Avynlea did me first and then I did her. She kept making me laugh because she would do something on my face, step back, take a look, and then squeal with excitement and proclaim me to be beautiful. She sure does a lot for my ego, I love it! When I look at the picture of my makeup I see a lot of pink, not too bad of a job. 

Kenedy and Rylee had fun doing their makeovers on each other also. At one point Rylee had to go wash her face because Kenedy messed up but I think they both look awesome. I was really impressedwith how well Rylee did on Kenedy.

I love all three of my beautiful girls!!

Buddy Walk 2015

On Saturday Kefford, Ryker and Kenedy got to go and participate in the Buddy Walk. They went as volunteers and the boys left a little earlier then the girls to help get everything set up. Kenedy has been going for the past couple of years but this was the first year for Ryker and Kefford. I have yet to have been able to go. I usually have some other things going on the day of. This year Avynlea and Rylee had a birthday party to go to for a former neighbor friend. It was held at Kliener Park and that morning Rylee was especially emotional and I figured she did not get enough sleep. We went to the store to look for some shoes for Kenedy for Homecoming before the party and Rylee kept complaining that she was freezing. I thought that was strange since she is usually so hot blooded. At the park I decided to stick around because I didn't want to drive back and forth. It was a good thing I did because twenty minutes into it I was taking Rylee home. She told me she did not feel good and laid down in the grass and cried. When we got home I discovered that she had a pretty high fever and I had her lie down on the couch. She was still sick on Sunday and so I stayed home with her from church. By Monday morning she was doing much better. It must have been a weird 24 hour flu bug. We are hoping nobody else gets it.

Keford and Lana sent me pictures they took at the Buddy walk and it looked like everyone had so much fun. Kenedy got to do some face painting and Ryker helped run some of the different games. They had so much fun and really enjoyed the atmosphere and being around all of these special people.

Ryker and Drake Hope

Kenedy and Aubree Hope

Ryker and Tyler Pierce