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SOLD!!

As of August 28, 2008, we have officially sold our first home! (well, condo). Ben and I bought this condo in North Orem, Utah right before we got married and moved in together after the honeymoon. This was our first dwelling place together and will forever hold a special place in my heart. I did enjoy living in the Stonebrook condos--all 1100 square feet of it--and made some dear friends there that I will never forget.


We made a few improvements. When we moved in, there was wallpaper plastered everywhere. We ripped that off and repainted.

We also installed look-a-like hardwood flooring in the entry way, kitchen and dining area that gave it a little facelift as well.


We spent many a night out here playing games, talking and enjoying our neighbor's company by the basketball hoop. Living in a condo was truly like glorified college days, except with the perk of being married. You still get together with friends all of the time, you see people coming and going every day, and your back yard is a million other people's backyards as well. Good times.

We welcomed our firstborn into this condo. Adelaide Gridley spent the first 2 years of her life here (although I'm sure she'll never remember it:)

we were so young back then!

I have to say that we did sell this condo "For Sale by Owner" which ended up being great for us. And now we have some extra change in our pocketbook. That's not too shabby.

GOODBYE STONEBROOK CONDOS!! WE WILL MISS YOU! (Can't say that I'd ever want to move back in, though. Especially after living in a home!)

Nate-O Potato...Whatever Shall I Do With You??

So I thought I had things all under control--Nathan and Ryan were playing with Addie in her bedroom. Perfect time to slip away and take a quick shower before the hectic day gets any further away from me--so I thought. I told Addie I was leaving to go shower and she knows to TRY to kinda keep things under control for me until I get out. I quickly went to my bathroom, closed the door behind me and hopped in for a moment of peace. I hadn't been in the shower for longer than 3 minutes, and I hear the bathroom door slowly open. What? How did that happen? I thought I closed the door!! It must not have latched completely. Anyway, in crawls Nathan with Ryan in tow not far behind. Oh no. Now what? I wasn't finished with my shower so I just decided to hurry it up a bit. Maybe they wouldn't decide that they wanted to see what was behind the green curtain. Guess I was wrong. Nathan couldn't wait for that.

All of a sudden, Nathan starts to crawl into the shower! Now this would have been fine if he had his swimming trucks and a swim diaper on, but no. He still had his diaper and jammies on! And you know what happens when a diaper gets wet!

So Nathan, fully clothed, is now officially showering with me. I didn't know quite what to do. Should I stop and get him out? But then I'd have to go through all of the changing of clothes and new diaper, etc., and didn't want to deal with that until I was done with my shower and had gotten dressed.

Well, I let him stay in the shower. Just didn't want to deal with the screaming that would come if I tried to get him out. Luckily Ryan wasn't as adventurous today as Nathan was or we would have had a REAL BIG party in the shower. Addie was being so cute and trying to referee Nathan from getting out of the shower and trying to keep Ryan from going in. "Buddies, no. No, buddies. Come out, Nathan. No, Ryan." So cute.

We eventually finished and got everything under control, but I didn't quite get the calm, peaceful shower that I was hoping for this morning. Oh well, good thing I get to try again tomorrow...

I couldn't keep from smiling at these little people that love to discover and explore. What fun it is to have them around, blessing my life and adding joy to my day.

I love you Nathan, Ryan, and Addie!

Life is Beautiful...

3 years, 2 months, and 2 days old and still taking an afternoon nap at the same time as her younger brothers. I'm lovin' it!

CALLED TO SERVE

The long awaited day has arrived. My brother Joseph received his mission call last night (after 3 weeks of waiting!) He has been called to serve in the Mexico Monterrey East Mission and will report to the missionary training center on December 31, 2008.

Congratulations, Elder Peterson! We love you and are so proud of you! Here's some pix that I could find of Joseph over the years. He's definitely grown from boy to man and it's time for him to get out there and testify!

that's Joe on the right--2004, my wedding

St. George family vacation-2005--Angel's Landing (he's the brother on the right)

Joe with Addie in Cabela's (Lehi, Utah) 2006

Joe performing a Tim Tam Slam at our annual family camp out--summer 2008

I Have a Feeling...

Ok, so I was talking to someone the other day about my recent blog post, and they said that people might not understand why I did this whole 'Ode to Boppy' thing (as clever as I thought I was being, maybe some didn't quite catch on.) So I thought I would clarify...

For the last year I have used this precious boppy to breastfeed my twins. Now this is significant because:
A) Most twin moms don't breastfeed
B) Even more can't make it to a year for whatever reason that may be (milk runs out, loss of patience/desire to breastfeed or breastfeed two at the same time for that matter)
C) Learning the 'art' of getting the boys on the boppy (it's actually called a Twin Nursing Pillow), getting situated, and getting over the immense back pain that this all brings as you sit in this position for up to 20-30 minutes is a TOUGH thing to do
D) There's really no other way to breastfeed twins at the same time besides doing it this way and some women just don't want the 'exposed' feeling that this brings (and believe me, it is an uncomfortable feeling at first!!)

So..I'm proud to say that we made it a whole year, using this boppy for every feeding, day in and day out. I would put those guys on there--one on each side, football hold style, and 'open up the milkbar'. When they were done, they would just roll off the sides and go along their way. I am also proud to say that out of the past year, only Nathan rolled off the boppy once and fell to the floor (and that happened just last week--he was way too quick for me to catch him. Poor guy! He's ok, though.)

do I look completely out of it or what?

So I did rummage up one picture of me in the hospital trying to breastfeed the boys at the same time (shield your eyes!) I didn't have the boppy pillow with me (what was I thinking? I couldn't have survived more than a day without it!) and what I had to end up doing was shove pillows under the babies' bodies to get them propped up enough to get to the milk. Crazy, I know. This is why I dedicated a whole post to the boppy. I truly couldn't have survived this past year without it! This was a pretty big accomplishment for me, especially since I thought that there would absolutely be NO way that I could survive doing it this way--and especially a whole year. I'd say that's something to be proud of. Don't you?

Anyway, if anyone is expecting twins or needs a coaching lesson on how to use one of these boppy's, I'd be glad to help. I'm officially an expert in the art of boppy-ing.

Ode to Boppy

My Dear Sweet Boppy, this post is for you:

Oh, how I have loved thee, dear boppy. Ever since you came into my life, we became instant friends and formed a bond that I thought could never be broken. We have literally been together night and day and you have been by my side through it all. You have seen me at my worst and have still been nonjudgmental. Thank you for being my comrade, companion, confidant, and friend.

Many others have wanted to be near you because of the welcoming feeling that you radiate. My husband has often rested his head on your 'shoulder' and you have never failed him. My daughter has played with you and has cuddled up to you time and time again. Thank you for providing such a nice soft touch to all that come near and for truly befriending everyone that you meet.


My twin boys have spent much time with you as well. They became quite attached to you and always wanted you near. You were there to bear them up and lighten their load. You carried them with ease and pleasure. Day in and day out, hour after hour, you gave of yourself without any thought of return. They, and I, thank you for that.


Sweet boppy, you weren't the most beautiful of things ever to grace the earth, but you surely knew how to get the job done. You became a part of me, and when I left home, I couldn't go anywhere without you. That is what having a true friend is all about.

How could I have survived the last year without you? I honestly couldn't have. Please remember the good times we've had because I most surely will. I didn't know quite how to break the news to everyone that it was time to start letting you go. But deep in all of our hearts, we knew this time would eventually come--even on that first day when we came together. They took it hard for a few days, but as time marches on, the memories slowly are packed away with a precious bow--never to be forgotten. Every now and then, we will recall our time with you as a deliciously savored morsel and our love for you, dear boppy, will always remain strong. Always.

Thank you for seeing it through this past year with me, with us. Through all of the ups and downs, you remained firm and steadfast. Ode to dear boppy. We will miss you.

As of August 12, 2008, the Gridley Family and Dear Sweet Boppy have officially parted ways...

BROKEN HEARTED

So Ben has been taunting me FOREVER about cutting the boys' hair. This is always the conversation that we have: "Becca, I'm cutting the boys' hair. It's time. Their hair is so scraggly and hangs over their ears. They have these curls that are so long and it's just time to cut them off." "No, Ben," I always say. "They are still babies. They are adorable babies with adorable curls. Don't you dare touch them. I'll be so sad. Why do you care so much anyway? Just let them have those cute natural curls for as long as possible. PLEASE!" Well, this conversation has gone on for quite some time now.

he honestly can't tell me that these curls are not absolutely ADORABLE

And so the other night when I went out to run errands and Ben says (as I'm walking out the door), "I'm going to cut the boys' hair!", I say "don't you dare" and think that there would be no way that he would actually follow through with something that he has been talking about for the longest time. Why would he do it now, especially knowing how much I DIDN'T want him to? I enjoyed my time away, thinking that Ben had things totally and completely under control at home. Well, when I walked in the door, everything was quite, the boys were in bed, and Ben was downstairs relaxing in front of the TV. I went down and thanked Ben for getting the boys in bed and then noticed that he had this huge smile on his face. Little did I know what was coming right at me.

"Becca, go look upstairs on the counter!" "Oh, Ben, you got me a treat. You shouldn't have," I teased. "No, Bec, really. Go look upstairs on the counter." Ok, did he clean the counter? Do the dishes? Buy something (he's been wanting a Nintendo Wii for forever, too). It's not our anniversary yet. Not my birthday. It's not mother's day or any other day that's out of the ordinary. So what's this big deal about looking at the counter? I halfheartedly walked back up the stairs and started looking for something on the counter, not really knowing quite what to expect. Low and behold, there in front of my eyes in a small plastic baggie, was something that I was not prepared to see. A lock of beautiful golden-blond curls were sitting there in front of me, neatly placed in a baggie, waiting for my next scrapblooking adventure (whenever that might be).

('8-7-08. Nathan's 1st haircut. Ben did this against my wishes')

Needless to say, my heart literally began to break. I ran back downstairs to Ben and asked, "How could you? Ben, my heart is breaking." "Bec, I told you that I was going to cut their hair. Be grateful I only cut one of them. I figured I get to do what I want with one of the boys, and you can do what you want with the other." I then asked him which of the twin's hair was cut. He told me that I'd have to find out in the morning when they woke up. He just grabbed whichever baby was closest to him at the time and started in on the clippers. I couldn't believe it. I didn't know whether to cry, scream, laugh, or beat Ben up (not really).

I did not have a good sleep that night. Come to think of it, one of the babies cried out in the night, too. I bet it's because he knew his beautiful locks of curls had been chopped off that night. How sad.

I did think that Ben had probably gotten ahold of Ryan. Ryan has more curls and his hair tends to get more fro-like than Nathan's does. Well, when the little buddies woke up in the morning, this is what I beheld when I saw my dear sweet Nathan:


Ben has left me in a bind. Should I cut Ryan's hair to match Nathan's? (because, truly, they don't look like identical twins anymore). Or should I leave Ryan's hair the way it is (because I love his curls) and just be able to accept the fact that the boys look a little different, thanks to their darling father?

Ryan on left. Nathan on right.

Goodbye, my golden-lock-headed Nathan. We will miss those beautiful curls that adorned your precious head.

A special thanks goes out to all of you that voted NO or HECK NO on my recent poll. I truly appreciated your support and encouragement. (I'm still crying inside).

Happy First Birthday Little Buddies!

Wow. I can't believe we made it through the first year. I never thought we'd get this far. Here's a little recap of how things went just one year ago: I was 38 1/2 weeks pregnant and the doctor said that if the boys weren't here by August 2, 2007, he would take them out on that day. August 2nd came (despite many prayers and pleadings that I wouldn't have to have a scheduled appointment for delivery) and so we headed to the hospital at 5 am to get ready for the c-section. I would have liked to have tried a natural birth, but sweet Nathan was not cooperating. His little behind was wedged right up against the 'door'. All went well and before I knew it, Nathan Rex was born into this world at 7:08am, weighing a whopping 6 lbs. 14oz! But Ryan was not to be outdone by his brother. Ryan Steven was born at 7:09am, weighing in at an amazing 7 lbs. 8 oz. (which was 1 oz. bigger than Addie when she was born--and she came a week late!)

I was so out of it that I barely even knew that I was holding them in my arms

Proud Papa holding Nathan (I think) and Grammie holding Ryan

I just remember holding those little guys in my arms and sobbing--feeling so grateful that they got here safely but also scared to death about what lay before me. I had no idea how I was going to survive. One baby is hard enough--how on earth was I going to care for two at the same time (not to mention my 2 year old)? I prayed and prayed hard that the Lord would see me through this trial-but blessing-and that I would come out a stronger person having experienced all that comes with caring for twins and a toddler.

cute little Addie with the newest additions to our family

Well, the first 4-6 months were a blur. Caring for twins (and a toddler:) is honestly the hardest thing I can say I've ever done. But thankfully I had help for the first 3 months and then after that I just really had to trust that the Lord would help me get through each day. My mom kept telling me that this didn't have to be what I thought was a trial, but could become my 'magnum opus' if I let it. I didn't know what to think then but looking back have discovered that I achieved more than I thought I ever could. These boys are healthy, strong, happy, and are a great blessing to my life. We have many more years to come, but to think that we made it through one year--WOW. What a miracle and I wouldn't have it any other way.

back in the day when they used to be able to sleep in the same bassinet!

So Saturday was their official first birthday. We had family over to celebrate the special day with us.

wow, even in this photo it's hard to tell them apart. I think I've got Nathan on my right knee and Ryan on my left

We opened presents, which have turned out to be a hit.



We then went straight for the cake (which took way TOO long to make. Next time I'm just going to Albertsons and buying one. After about 8 combined hours between my mom and I, we decided it was just too much work. But hey, it's cute!)

in case you can't tell, it's a candy train, complete with engine and caboose!

Nathan

Ryan

We love these little guys and are so happy to have them in our home. They truly are a blessing.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LITTLE BUDDIES!!

(p.s. the current weights at one year are: Nathan--22 lbs. and Ryan--21 lbs. 12 oz. Way to go, Nathan, you finally caught up to and surpassed your younger brother!)

Here are the little dunksters showing their basketball skills with their birthday present. Nathan primarily uses his right hand while Ryan is dominating the basket with his left hand. Nothing stops these boys from showing their stuff. Ryan especially likes dunking the ball while only wearing his diaper. It was supposed to be bedtime but they were having too much fun. This seriously went on for over 15 minutes.

FUN IN THE SUN

Just had to share some photos of our fun in the sun!

And how about some spaghetti to fill up those empty bellies:




YUMMY!



Gotta love these little people...

WHATDOYATHINK?

aren't they cute?

So my twin boys Nathan and Ryan turn ONE year old this Saturday. It's hard enough to plan something for one, let alone two. I was just wondering if anyone out there had any ideas for birthday preparations (ie what to get for a present--should I get two of the same thing or different things?, cake ideas, decorating tips, etc). Shoot me a comment or two if you do. I'd love your help!

1st Annual Peterson Family Campout

Ben's family has a tradition of having a yearly campout at their grandparent's house in California. They have been doing it for as long as he can remember and he's always talked about how much fun these campouts have been. Each year they have a theme (ie, olympics, the beach, cowboys and indians) so as to have something to remember the experience by.

Well, we can't make it to California without great effort nowadays, so we thought it would be fun to start something like this with my side of the family since quite a few of us have ended up in Wyoming. We posed the idea to my family here and they were more than receptive (my mom is all about making traditions). Well, as of yesterday, the 1st annual Peterson family campout has begun and boy did we have a blast! For our first year, we chose to have an Australian theme. Let me give you a breakdown of how it all went:

(my brothers Jacob and Joseph trying their hand at playing a digeridoo)

Friday, 4pm--set up tents outside on my parents' backyard and practice playing on digeridoos. I'd have to say that Ryan got pretty good at it:) (see picture above)

7pm--dinner (fish n' chips) with pavlova for dessert, along with fried bananas, ice cream and chocolate sauce

8-11pm--waiting for the thunderstorm to pass so we could actually sleep out in our tents. Some watched Man from Snowy River to ride out the storm.

SLEEP (or lack thereof--it was so noisy outside because of the blessed wind that never dies in Wyoming)

Saturday, 7am--wake up

9am--eat breakfast burritos (eggs, sausage, hashbrowns, bacon, salsa, and cheese all rolled into a tortilla) YUM!!

9:30am--bounce house set up. We decided to rent a bounce house to go along with all of the fun that we were having.

me in the bounce house with Nathan and Ryan

Jason, Addie, Abby, my nasty profile, and baby Ryan's backside--or is that Nathan?:)

Everyone had fun on the bounce house. While the kids jumped their hearts out, some of the older kids went to try and throw a boomerang to see if they could get it to come back to them. (We tried to stick to the Australian theme as much as possible, with only a few variations). We had success! Ben, Jacob, Joseph, and Lars all got their boomerangs to come back to them. Good work, guys!

The younger ones made dot paintings, and then by the time we knew it, it was lunch time.

12:30pm--lunch. Barbecued pork, fruit salad, and veggies.

2pm--the classic TIM TAM SLAM. This is what we were all waiting for.

So a Tim Tam Slam consists of buying Tim Tams (which you can only find at a World Market in Fort Collins, Colorado because they are a true Australian biscuit). Tim Tams are YUMMILY filled with chocolate that melts easily when something hot touches it:). So you bite off one corner of the cookie and then the opposite corner of the other side of the cookie. You get some hot chocolate and suck it through the cookie. The inside of the cookie melts as the hot chocolate goes through and you then SLAM the cookie into your mouth for the ultimate gooey chocolate rush. It was so good! I think we'll be making another trip to the market in Colorado soon.

3:00pm--pack up and go home.

We had such a great time and can't wait for the 2nd annual Peterson campout next year. Anyone have suggestions of a fun theme? Thanks to Ben for getting this all started and for making it a wicked good time ('wicked'= Australian for AWESOME)