We're Back!

Hey, y'all.... we finally (I finally) figured out how to get back on this thing. (Well I thought I did.... I still can't get the pictures in the right place.) (still working on it)Can we tell you how much we love this thing. We love reading your writings and seeing the pictures.... it is almost as good as a letter.

Kim we are really glad that you are a quick learner when it comes to sailing. Don't let anyone tell you you aren't.

L - WAHOO.... we love those new big girl panties.... you are so grown up.

It is now time for this week's H&S

:-)

We got to see Dani!!!! and Spend the weekend with Jess and Drew.

We got to see the beautiful Yosemite. - Half Dome, El Capitan, Bridal Vail Falls, Hetch Hetchie, Bass Lake, and Angel's Camp - Home of the Frog Festival. We got to go to a Farmer's Market there - no frogs but a lot of belly dancers!

Had a nice van to carry everyone around in - THANK YOU DANI!!!!

Finished folding Dani's quilt blocks. Now all she has to do is sew them all together.

Ate at the Wawona Restaurant at the south end of Yosemite. It was Jess's B-day dinner - it reminded me of Somewhere in time. (The week before we ate Yak at Jasoh in Ogden - YUMMY)

Our Condos were really nice and comfortable. We got to spend 2 nights in each place. THANKS JESS AND DREW!!!!

Winding roads with beautiful trees in the Sierra Nevadas.

Giant Sequoias.

I am reading (no listening) to the 6th book of the Mitford Series - Highly recommended.

Dad finished Orson Scott Card's new book EMPIRE. He says it is Very good.

After cleaning out the shed we finally got all the junk taken to the dump. AAHH. that feels good.

Sacramento Airports Giant suitcase piles.

:-(

Entryway floor is popping up. Guess the moisture from the new swamp cooler is a little too much for it.

WEEDS

Jess and Dad were sick on our trip.

WEEDS

Yosemite was in a drought. No Yosemite Falls... just Yosemite weeping cliff. Bridal Vail Falls were just a mist in the light.

Winding roads in the Sierra Nevadas - that went on forever!!!

Dani didn't get to come home with us.

Well.... I guess that is enough for now.... I will try and post some pictures.... see if I can figure this out.

Love you all bunches.

Mom and Dad

This is Grma and Grma after the gruelling hike to the Beautiful Navajo Falls.... the falls actually had water!

Looking the other direction on the bridge you can see how beautiful it is.

V&D's red convertable.... fun ride!

Diane gave Jess a teddy bear dressed like a giraffe for her birthday... so they decided to practice....

A Sailors Life for me

here is a cool picture of the draw bridge that is opened just for us as we pass through, it was a swing one not a raising one . . you cant tell really but it is perpendicular to the actual bridge as we pass through in this pic.

this is a view from the safely docked boat . . . viewing all the boats and slips narrowly missed... if you haven't heard our near death (of the boat) story, and how guided by the hand of the Lord i managed to get the boat safely docked with out one scratch . . call me :0 )

FAMILY COUNCIL

ok kido's its time for Family Council . .Why . . well cuz i said so and I'm the oldest and i hold the birthright...... and NO YOU CAN NOT HAVE ANY OF MY PORIDGE!

so me and mom and Brooke have been muling over an idea (Brooke's original) and i have taking the initiative to put it into action.. as we are staring to spread out in numbers and miles, it is time that we plan time together that is not split between in-laws, friends and distractions, just the Pete's and no one else. it doesn't have to be exotic or fanciful, just a few days away from all the rest. i.e. a few days at a cabin, a few days at a time share, a few days even in the same area but not where we can be reached . . so i have put together a few guidelines and assignments, I'd like each of you to reply with your input . . ideas . . suggestions . . complaints . . concerns . . etc...

each year one family (or kim, or dani) will be the Great Dalmuti. The Job of the Great Dalmuti will be as follows.
* Pick a Date
* Pick a Time
*Delegation to Peons of assignments - i.e. food, activities, musical numbers, etc.
* coordinate with everyone else to make the above convenient, for time and money.

(example... Cabin stay at the San Juan Islands, July 15, 2008 / Time Share at East Canyon, October 21st, 2009 / Camping in the Uintahs, June 30th, 2010)

Since it was Brooke's idea she should have 2008
Jessica 2009
Mom and Dad 2010
Dani 2011
me 2012
these can be rearranged, or swapped, i just threw out names at random.
let me know what you think!!

Happy/Sad

I know I've been MIA, but I had blogger overload stress. Hopefully I'll get caught up on the other ones soon too.

SAD
Back hurts and I realized that co-pays of only $15 a visit can add up when you're going 2-3 times a week.
I am not meeting my goal to bed before 11:30pm. At least I'm getting better at not going down at midnight!
I have lopsided hips (I knew I wasn't just imagining things).


HAPPY
Lydia is potty-trained (she's showing off her undies she picked out at the store)! It has gone so well! She has blown me away with how quickly and easily she's caught on. She's even doing great over at friends or at the ice cream store. What a big girl!

We're going to North Carolina to see the Bennetts next weekend.

Nice weather, lots of fun things to do!

This month has been GREAT with John moved out (they finally picked up his HUGE pile of junk and garbage after two weeks of rotting) we have been enjoying fresh air in our home! Now we're trying to find someone to come and live next to us that doesn't smoke -- cross your fingers that we'll find someone before the management company does.

Kim sent Corbin's awesome blankie and lots of fun surprises (I told Quintin that he could listen to my CD... that was his surprise). THANKS!

Went swimming with the Buxtons, Farley, and Robbs. Corbin wasn't hugely excited about the water but he did pretty good for his first time. Lydia had a great time with her "floating swimsuit."



Just in case I didn't mention it... we had an awesome time in Cincinnati and with Mary and Shane. I'll do those updates on the beazer blog.

loves!

Early Mid July

Happy -

I get to see Mom and Dad - Jess and Drew - Grandma and Grandma - Val and Diane in 3 days!!!!!!!

I am ushering at a theater - Free shows - way cool. (Maybe Wicked will get there in 10 yrs and I will see it)

Got to play basketball last night.

I know a lot of great people here in Sac.

Have been able to talk with my MIA roomate.

SAD
~I had to go buy new pants because my maternity ones were too small (go figure)
~I think my jaw is dislocated and I haven't been able to open my mouth more than an inch for the past week.
~There are lots of really big fires going on right now
~The heat is starting to bug me
~Our garden is being taken over by squirrels, rabbits, birds, mice and bugs. grr.

HAPPY
~Brooke and I finally got to chat (it's only been a few months for heaven's sake)
~We got to hang out with mom and dad and the grandma's on the 4th
~Maggie is moving a LOT more these days
~I got to see my girls
~Our vacation to see Dani is coming up soon!
~Dad got his first grandpa gift from Maggie (pictures to come soon)
~We got to go on a fun hike to Donut Falls in Big Cottonwood canyon
~Andrew is going to defend his thesis this Thursday

Hi All -

Sorry I haven't been writing. I have had so much to ready and not so much internet time, so I have just been enjoying the reading. Sooooo Here we go.

Sads -

Can't get to bed early thus.....
Don't exercise
Don't read near enough
sleepy
not at prime physical health


Happys -

Floated down the river
Had 2 fun concerts
Mom and Dad are going on a mission - kinda soon
Get to see lots of fam soon

SADS

I'm sad that i haven't seen any one use this in a few weeks

i know i know we all have like 5 blogs we need to update . . just remember its here.
my week was interesting, my boss suggested i work from home Thursday and Friday. and steph had her family in town so i was basically on my own for 5 days. not really when I'm at my best. i watched a lot of TV, read a whole series of books, at about 16 bags of (low cal) popcorn and on the fourth i roasted my own hot dogs, pork and beans, chips, etc. ahh now those days must end and i get to go back to work :0 )

We are Home!

( I was trying to put these in the center of the story.... oopps,.... that won't work. So just imagine that it goes with selling CDs in Toronto and the train ride story.... he-he)

We are going to do H&S for the 2 weeks we were on tour. Starting with Toronto.

We got to see Ingrid and Verl at the concert and after. They were so cute and excited. Ingrid is trunky to come home and Verl is worried that there won't be anyone coming to replace them and wants to extend. They brought some investigator friends and a member of their bishopric and wife. It was fun.

Dad was working the CD sales before, intermission, and after and they sold about $25,000 worth. The most ever sold at a concert venue. CANADA LOVES US!!

We did 2 concerts there. The first one was Dad's favorite of the tour. It was in a concert hall, it was the first and all the songs were new and exciting, and he had seats right up front and could hear, see, and feel everything.

The choir was on 3 levels. stage, balcony and upper balcony. guess where I was sitting.... you guessed it.... 4th row from the TOP!!! it gave you motion sickness to keep your eyes on the conductor because he was so far below!!! but it was a great concert and the memorized words were all starting to fall into place.

Right after the concert we loaded buses and headed for Buffalo,NY about 2 hours away. We got there early the next morning (MIDNIGHT) next morning we had breakfast, and then got back on the bus and headed for a double header at Chataqua, NY. One of my favorite places!!!

A couple of weeks before we left I got a card in my music box at choir. It was from a friend that I had made the last time we were at Chitaqua. (4 years ago) She said that they were going to be there again this year and was hopeful that we could meet. I e-mailed her back and we made arrangements to meet and see each other again. Hopefully she is going to be sending me some pictures we took and I will add them so you can see her. It was a great experience to spend some time talking to them and strengthening a friendship that I hope gets stronger. They are great people. They Loved the concert (they watched it twice.... snuck into the matinee, and had tickets for the evening) After the evening concert she was hopping over benches and running to try and catch me as we were leaving.

FYI .... Thomas Edison was the son-in-law of the Hotel Proprietor and he installed lights in Chitaqua's hotel...... the first in the history of man to have electric lights, because of his son-in-law.

Dad had his marathon button experience here. They were wearing the blue blazers and he had 26 buttons come off. The buttons were metal and they kept cutting the threads. Finally he just got a bunch of safety pins and pinned them on. It was an adventure!!

Because of the button experience, Dad sat up at the top of the benches by a lady who had brought her mother to the concert from Cleveland. "Her mother was on Hospice and her dying wish was to see the choir. They were not members, but her dentist is a bishop. As we talked it reminded me alot of our experience with Dad Petersen."

Right after the concert we boarded the buses and drove the 2 1/2 hours to Cleveland and stayed in the Renaissance Hotel (arriving at apx 1) which at one time was the largest in the country. Early the next morning we (Dad and I) caught a train and rode to the airport where we caught a shuttle to the rental car place and rented a car and drove to Columbus. MMMM.... wonder why we did that??!!

It was great to spend some time with the Beazers. Lydia stole Dad's heart and they played all afternoon. They were at the park, riding bikes, playing with toys, and she even tucked him in for a nap. Corbin was his charming self winning our hearts. Brooke and Q made us a scrumptious dinner and we got to spend the whole afternoon and early evening talking and watching Lyds and Gpa play.

Unfortunately we had to leave about 7ish and drove back to Cleveland. It worked out really well with no glitches, so we felt really blessed.

The next day we got to ride a train through Cuyahoga National Park. It was a fun train owned by an LDS guy who opened it on Monday just for us. We rode along the Ohio and Erie Canal track and got a lot of history and beautiful sights along the way. We ate at the Hunt Farm where a safe was made for Joseph Smith. It was a little like Utah Heritage State Park, but not nearly as big or well taken care of. But, it was nice. (and hot!!)

Then it was off to the Blossom Festival. This was an outside theater that is the home of the Cleveland Symphony. It was the hottest concert of the trip. but it was a beautiful setting and a great reception from the people.

We don't want to be too long winded... so we will do this in segments and will add the next days in a bit.

Love you.... have a great week.
M&D

sappy and hads

i HAD a cute little stomach
i HAD a brilliant plan on how to save money
i HAD an active social life

i just watched a movie called Water, holy sad (and beautiful!) i have never been so sappy and sobby at a movie in a long time