Mr & Mrs Peters

A Sunday Six to finish out the month of July.

1. Skyla’s mass is almost completely gone! Now, if it will just stay away…

2. There are times when my honey and I go days without “seeing” each other (one of us is always asleep when the other is awake). I can usually go about 3 days before it starts to really grate on me. This week was one of those tough ones- luckily, my husband is creative. In order to spend time together we went on a date from 12-2am, Saturday morning. I complained about the late hour and was lectured about acting too old. No matter, I was able to enjoy a lovely couple of hours with my hubby.

3. Our friends Jim and Stacey are visiting from Washington with their adorable son Elliot. Their parents hosted a really nice Open House for all their CA friends to meet the new baby, who is six months old. We also look forward to having dinner with them again this week. Jim and Justin have been friends for 16 years!

4. This is one I take for granted so often- I have a roof over my head and a safe place to lay my head at night. I tend to get so caught up in the long list of things to be fixed around the house that I get grumpy and forget how blessed we are to live where we do.

5. I have so many wonderful family and friends whom I love so dearly. I am so thankful that I have an abundance of great people in my life.

6. My handsome nephew Stone turned nine months old on Monday. How can it be?? I am so thankful that he is happy, healthy, and growing to be such a big and strong boy. In honor of this milestone, I will share some of my favorite photos from the last nine months.

My week zoomed by in a particularly quick fashion, most likely because I had Monday off from work. I was blessed in many ways this week and here are six specific items I am thankful for.

1. Sunday and Monday were set aside for just my husband and me. I cannot say enough how much I enjoy being in my husband’s presence and just spending time with him. I sure am thankful that he is my partner for life.

2. I invited several friends to join me for an hour of walking on the track at Biola. Only Erin was able to join me- and we had a great time! We walked 2-3 miles and hardly even noticed because we were chatting so intently.

3. This summer I have been attending a Women’s Bible Study at church. We are studying some of the “purpose” statements of Jesus. This week was particularly enlightening and I am thankful for good teaching.

4. This week Alicia and I had a great conversation about “deep” things. Isn’t it great to have friends that aren’t just fun to laugh with, but also like to discuss matters of the heart?

5. Two words for you: Harry Potter! Friday night I went to the movies with Francina, Michael, Megan, and Greg. The movie wasn’t as great as I had hoped, but the company was wonderful.

6. Last night I had a delicious Italian dinner with “the girls,” sans Francina. We sat and talked/ate for 3 hours… Our server informed us when we (finally) left that we had sat long enough that one of his tables had gone through two full rounds of dining for two seperate parties. I don’t know if this was wise of him to say right as we were figuring out the tip, but whatever.

My dear husband reminded me last week that I have not done my Sunday Six in a long time. He is right… And in fact, if someone were to grade me on my blogging attempts lately I bet I would receieve an “I” for incomplete. Thankfully, I don’t get graded on my blogging regularity!

But, I have missed writing about my Sunday Six. So here, my friends, are six things that I am so very thankful for this week.

1. Flexibility at work… I feel very fortunate to be able to leave work early when needed and make up my time when it works for me (ie coming in super early). I definitely don’t take advantage of this but it comes in handy once in a while.

2. Yesterday morning I woke up and had to stay quiet until Justin “naturally” woke up. (I say naturally because believe it or not, I may have been guilty in the past of doing things to “accidentally” wake him up… ie intentionally sneezing, coughing, walking loudly) I decided that I was going to re-read one of my favorite books, Pretense by Lori Wick. Seriously people, read it NOW if you haven’t. It’s just amazing. Isn’t it sometimes nice to just focus on a book you already know and love?

3. On Friday my Dad retired from his job after 32 years. Hoorah Dad!! We celebrated on Thursday and Saturday and there is still one more party to go I am so very thankful that my Dad made it out of the police department with all his arms, legs, and brains! Thank you God for protecting him throughout his career.

4. It is such a nice blessing to have great neighbors! On Tuesday Jarod and April invited us out for ice cream… We had a great time and continually thank God for bringing them to be our neighbors.

5. Doesn’t it feel good to finally have a reason to wear summer clothes?!? I have worn several sun dresses this week and use every possible opportunity to break out my flip flops. And I give you all permission to remind me of my current joy a month from now when I am complaining about the heat!

6. Justin and I have been working on a lot of plans this week. Mostly they are boring, tedious plans that make me wish I could just curl up and be a 12 year old again. BUT… as much as I hate dealing with things of the financial realm, I am so very thankful to have Justin by my side as we figure things out together. He is patient to explain things and keeps me on track when I start to zone out.

Have a wonderful week my friends! I promise to be back with a new recipe on Wednesday… (or maybe if I am feeling particularly bold I will even do another post in between!)

This post is long overdue, so please excuse my tardiness! Here is the Sunday Monday Tuesday Six.

1. I am fortunate to have 3 different Moms to celebrate with on Mother’s Day. This past weekend was busy but very fun! On Saturday night I went out to dinner with my Dad’s family. Sunday afternoon we had brunch with my Mom’s family and on Sunday night I made dinner for Justin’s parents. Fun, right??

2. After brunch on Sunday we took my mom to see Star Trek. Can I just say how much I LOVE going to the movies? My mom instilled in me a love for movies very early on. It was only fitting that we saw this new movie together… If you haven’t seen it- go now! Don’t wait! It was very entertaining, even for a Star Trek virgin such as myself.

3. I am going camping this weekend! I can’t wait to spend time with my Grace Groupies, even though it will require me to use a yucky bathroom all weekend. We all have to make sacrifices, right?

4. As previously mentioned, our dear friends Jeff and Jenny welcomed their second son last week. I got to visit Mom and baby in the hospital last week and it was such a beautiful time!

5. Isn’t it wonderful that we live in an era where visiting family and friends cross-country is made possible by the ease of airplanes? Don’t get me wrong… there are times where I want to rip my hair out after a stressful flight. But when it comes down to it- I am very thankful for the ability to get to family quickly when needed.

6. Chloe is home, WAHOOO!!! We are having dinner tomorrow night and I could not be more thrilled.

There are so many things to be thankful for this week, so here I go!

1. Our friends Jeff and Jenny are expecting their second son to arrive any moment now! They already have Bryson, who is going to be a great big brother! We can’t wait to meet this new addition. They are such special friends of ours, and we can’t wait to meet Bennett!

2. Bryant, Amy, and Stoney will be here in a matter of weeks! They are coming out to bring Radar to his new home. Every time I go into/past the guest bedroom I feel a thrill of excitement knowing that it is not too long until they are staying with us!

3. We are one big step closer to having a nice backyard!! The guys poured the cement for the patio/border at the end of the week. The fence posts are up, and they are going to finish the fence in the upcoming week. Next step will be finishing the sprinkler system and getting some color in our yard!

4. On Friday night the girls of my Grace Group came over for movie night! We did fruit and dips to start the evening- so yummy! We ended up watching The Ex, which was hilarious. I recommend it to anyone looking for a good comedy.

5. Just for kicks, this week I began to re-read one of my favorite book series… Anne of Green Gables. There is something about Anne Shirley that just makes me happy. I really hope that someday I have a daughter so I can pass books like these on to her!

6. On Friday Justin realized that he was coming down with some sort of illness. He ended up having to call out of work sick on both Friday and Saturday. While I am not happy he was sick- I AM happy that I was able to take care of him on my days off. He is finally starting to feel better today, thank goodness! Nothing is quite as pitiful as my hubby sick on the couch

Fun moments from my week that I am very thankful for:

1. On Wednesday night the girls came over for dinner and a trip to Golden Spoon. We did a potluck of sorts… I made soup, Fran brought strawberries, Kel brought yummy bread, and Megs picked up a salad to share. Megs and Fran were on Easter break and so they didn’t even have to rush home! We chatted and giggled on my couches until 10:30! I love the nights where we can just sit and talk for hours.

2. My sister Rebecca is going to prom this week! She has a gorgeous dress, beautiful jewelry and shoes all ready to go. She is the junior class president and so this dance has been a huge project for her all year. Good job Becky! Everything is going to go perfectly, I just know it

3. My nephew Brayden has a birthday coming up. This week we got an invite to his party and his mom had also included a picture that he colored for me. Justin put it up on the fridge while I was at work and my eyes filled with tears when I came home and found it. He is such a sweet little boy and I do wish we got to see him more often.

4. Justin got out our bikes on Friday and made them ride-ready (dusted them off and filled up the tires with air). We went on a ride Friday night before Homebuilders and then went to the grocery store Saturday morning on our bikes. It is fun to ride my cute little pink bike around the neighborhood… even if that darn seat makes my tooshy hurt!

5. It appears as if summer is coming to stay! This weekend we had a bit of a hot streak… I even got a sunburn on my arm yesterday from our bike ride to the grocery.

6. Yesterday Skyla and I went up to my parent’s house for the afternoon. Skyla spent the day playing with Molly, and I went to a tea party at my aunt’s house. It was quite fun! I have attempted to upload a video of Skyla from yesterday. It really isn’t all that exciting of a video- I just wanted to see if it would work. I have never tried to post a video before. Leave me a comment and let me know if you were able to view it! UPDATE: I am not as technically savvy as I thought. I will try again some other time.

I am sitting here with my oatmeal, taking some time to reflect before I leave for church. Here’s my Sunday Six, or six things that I am very thankful for this week.

1. One of the best feelings in the world, at least in my humble opinion, is getting to wake up naturally- without an alarm clock! Today and yesterday have been that way and I am loving it!

2. I love to watch movies. Something about it just makes me really happy. This weekend Justin and I got through all 3 of our netflix envelopes here at home. Not all of them were that great, but the feeling of lying on the couch with a big bowl of popcorn is still the best!

3. Slowly but surely, things are coming together in the back and front yard. When we look at all we need do, it feels overwhelming. For this reason, we try to just take it one step at a time. Next step is to have parts of the fence replaced and have the new patio concrete poured. Once things get going I will post before and after pictures.

4. My grandma from Kentucky flies into town in just a few short hours. I have not seen her in nearly 2 years and I can’t wait for our reunion! She is such a special person, and my mom and I are both looking forward to having her all to ourselves for the next week.

5. Spring is upon us, which can only mean one thing: time for deep cleaning! I have been bit by the organization bug (well, a small bite) and have been going through drawers and closets and the garage like a mad woman. I make 4 piles: toss/sell/donate/put back. It is amazing how much stuff we have that, quite honestly, we have absolutely no use for.

6. I love that Easter is here! On Friday we will remember Good Friday with a nighttime service and mourn as we recall the way in which Christ suffered on our behalf. The true celebrating comes on Sunday when we rejoice that, “He is risen!” The next week is filled with such depth- and I truly try hard not to let myself fall too much into the silliness of the Easter Bunny** and what not. (I did send Stone an Easter basket, but I explained in the card why Easter was so special. I feel it evens out!!)

** Concerned family memebers, do not worry. I still will kick all your butts in the Easter egg hunt.

What a weekend… I am sitting here nursing a headache and amazed at all we fit in this weekend. Minus the headache I’ve got going on, it has been an absolutely wonderful weekend.

1. After years and years of raising funds and praying, our church moved into the new building this week. We had our first service in the sanctuary this morning and it was such a neat time. Justin’s parents have been going to Grace for something like 30 years and it blows my mind to think of how long they have been waiting for this day. I get weepy-eyed thinking of the fact that our kids will be dedicated in this new building some day.

2. Doesn’t it feel good to be known well by those you love?

3. I am continually reminded of how blessed I am to have the job that I do. I am thankful for steady employment and a chance to do something I enjoy (most of the time!!).

4. This weekend felt like the ending of an era… Yes, that’s right- Justin and I finished watching The West Wing. I cried like a baby throughout the whole last episode. We started with Season One months and months ago and I honestly feel like the characters are friends after all the hours I have spent with them. President Bartlett, Leo, CJ, Josh, Donna, and Toby… I will miss you all!

5. We celebrated Justin’s birthday on Saturday night. I surprised him with a party and we got to spend time with some of our family and close friends. He had such a great time, and quite frankly… I am glad it is over with! Too much work keeping secrets like that in

Enjoying our cupcakes!

On a side note- I ordered cupcakes from Kelly at Once Upon A Cupcake. Check out her site- her baked treats are the cutest!

6. This week I leave for Nashville to visit Miss Chloe. She has been gone for 3 months and I absolutely cannot wait to see her. Kelly and I will be gone for a long weekend and hopefully Justin won’t burn down the house while I’m gone.

I am having a not-so-good day. I have already cried once (while reading a horrible news story about an explosion at a dog kennel) and in general feel like poo.

In order to pull myself out of this foul state I am going to force myself to think of good, happy things and recall my Sunday (or maybe Monday) Six.

1. For my birthday I got two new kitchen devices! I will now be making homemade bread with my bread machine and yummy fresh-popped popcorn with my Whirley-Pop!

2. Somehow I have made it through Girl Scout cookie season without encountering any troops stationed outside of the grocery. I was actually a little sad about this and therefore jumped at the chance to buy a box of Thin Mints from a co-worker today. I may or may not have already opened the box.

3. I normally do all my grocery shopping by myself and so I jumped at the chance to hit up Costco with Francina this weekend. We had such a blast, sampling foods and forcing ourselves not to buy cute clothes and other things we didn’t really need. Plus, we got to split some of the items!

4. Last week Skyla and I went on a walk with my neighbor April and her dog Beau. We had such a great time and plan to make this a regular habit. It was so funny- Beau is a lot younger and therefore made Skyla seem really slow He loves to jump on things and bounces around a lot. Skyla has to focus on walking straight ahead and not hitting her head on anything. She’s a tad clumsy- just like her Mom!

5. Yesterday was my sister Allie’s birthday. We spent the day at Disneyland and had a great time. She is in town for a week and I know more fun will be upcoming.

6. As previously stated, I haven’t had the best morning so far. While getting ready earlier I was feeling pretty gross and unattractive. When I went to kiss Justin goodbye he looked at me and said, “Wow, you’re hot!” It doesn’t get much better than that!

You know how sometimes you are driving somewhere that you go very often and all of sudden you think- “Wow, I don’t even think I’ve been paying attention!” It’s a slightly concerning feeling, but 99% of the time I know I haven’t run any red lights/cut anyone off, etc.

Earlier this week I was driving to work when I suddenly realized I was in the carpool lane. This obviously bothered me as I definitely didn’t start out there. It worried me that I might have swerved or something and not even noticed it. (Troublesome, right??)

The next day it happened again and I realized that the tricky Cal-Trans people had turned the number one lane into a carpool lane! I know I can’t have been the only one who was worried that they were going insane on the 5 freeway.

So, good news is- I haven’t lost my mind. Yet.

On a side note… I have a very exciting piece of news to share. No, I’m not pregnant… It’s even better than that! (Unless you’re my mom and are secretly hoping my birth control fails).

Justin and I are going on a cruise to Alaska in the fall!! We made the decision about a week ago that we would have to cancel our planned trip to Mexico, in light of all the escalating violence south of the border. We knew we wanted to stick with something that would be “all-inclusive,” as I love the feeling of not having to spend a dime on my days to relax!!

So, if any of you have any words of advice or wisdom to share- comment away! I am thankful to have my Aunt Patti who is a travel guru when it comes to cruises. I would appreciate anything ya’ll have to share!