Happy Leap Day

Leap Year has always completely fascinated me!
I am 100% sure it started when I had a friend
declare to me that she was only 3 Years Old,
when she was in 6th grade with me!

I am smart enough now to realize that she
was 12, but had only had 3 birthdays.

Our family used to do Time Capsules
on Leap Year,
we took memorabilia of our lives,
hid it away in a box
and buried it in the back yard!

Cute idea, until you MOVE!! 
and you forget that you left the
Leap Year Time Capsule!

So this year, I have been trying to think of something
to make the day a little extra special.
Wednesdays are our busy nights,
so it won't be much
(and I just decided on it yesterday)

To celebrate one Extra Day in 2012,
the kids are getting
"An extra Minute to sleep this morning"

"An extra treat from the Clean House fairy"

find out more about the clean house fairy tomorrow

... which, by the way,
will lead them on a little scavenger hunt
of favorite Peterson home memories
over the past four years!
(And notice, I am getting chores out of
them while they go searching for their
extra treat.)

They also got two special treats
in their lunch boxes,

Sometimes you go for healthy...

reminding them to make the most of
their EXTRA DAY this year!

... and sometimes you go for cute! I went cute :

You can't tell from the pictures,
but the notes are on a
Grab n' Go Oreo pack

and a small bottle of A&W Root Beer!

Tonight, after dinner,
or before- knowing me,
we will get these yummy cupcakes
filled with my "predictions" for the
upcoming four years!

Really Simple, I know,
but it will be a great day 
and best of all,
we won't leave any of it behind when (if)
we move in the next four years!

The Good, The Bad & The Beautiful

On Thursday,
My family will officially have been
in Texas for 4 months-

A LOT has happened in these
4 months,
but also, A LOT is left to happen-

In 2011 we moved from California,
to Texas-

 In 2008 we moved from Minnesota
to California

So that means in three years, we've lived in
3 States!!
And I'd like to point out
that WE MOVED TEENAGERS!!

With LIVES!!!

So when me and the kids sat at the airport
on October 29, 2011-
we were just a heightened bunch of emotions
that ranged from fear to sorrow and
from anxiety to anticipation-

Now they are good kids,
and they are pretty mature for their ages,
but when we got to Texas,
I could tell this wasn't going to be our easiest move
so I went into SURVIVAL mode big time!!!

Think MAMA Bear on STEROIDS!!!!

I started several at home practices that would
help me know what was going through their minds
and what was happening in their day.
I can't begin to express how much I
believe these things helped get our family
through the harder parts of this transition!

One thing we did that helped a ton
was to share at dinner each night-
Our Good,
 (something awesome from the day)
Our Bad
 (something frustrating, sad, lonely...)
&Our Beautiful.
 (any mercy that helped us see that in the long
run Heavenly Father was watching out for us
& everything was going to be okay)

It was so helpful for me,
to hear from each child not only how the day went
but what was upsetting,
how they were handling the good
and more than anything else,
that they were noticing the little
Miracles in their lives that sometimes get
overshadowed by life in general

We've done this many times in our lives,
sharing our Ups & Downs
Highs & Lows
Peaks & Valleys,

but this added a new dynamic that I loved,
a recognition of a Heavenly Hand.

I believe it got us talking about our day,
allowed us to cry together if needed
and celebrate successes together.

Here's to your Good, Bad and Beautiful!!

Start with the End

My son has a book he absolutely loves
to read at night-
I am sure you know the kind,
the ones you read over and over
and over and over...
again!

He reads himself to sleep every night- oh the cute times

I don't mind reading this one,
it is called
The 7 Habits of Happy Kids-
written by Sean Covey,
the son of Steven R. Covey.


One of the habits taught is
"Start with the End in Mind"
I've been thinking a lot about that as
I am monitoring my progress with
my New Years Eve Resolutions-
by the way,
How are you doing with yours??

Anyway,
I've had an amazing awareness about
New Years Resolutions-
most people go about them all wrong,
which is why most people don't get past
week one with their Resolutions still in tact.

This year, I am looking at my Goals for the
Year as a picture of what I expect to see
December 31, 2012-
not a picture of how things WILL be
immediately.

I think we get so discouraged when we aren't
perfect at our goals,
or worse,
when we have already broken our resolutions
after the first week of trying.


Maybe I am of a weaker sort,
but for the first time I am into
February and feeling GOOD about
where I stand with my resolutions-
I haven't lost the weight,
exercised faithfully six days a week,
eaten absolutely NO sugar
or enjoyed time in the sunshine
when it comes my way-

But.....
I have lost a little weight,
began to establish a new exercise plan
that will work with my new schedule,
CONSIDERABLY decreased my sugar consumption
and ENJOYED a lot of
beautiful afternoon walks in the sun!

I have an awareness of what I want to see
as my year progresses.
I know that at the end of the year 2012,
I want to see a new person,
I've defined what this new person
will have as her priorities and I have
come to terms with the fact that
all of this will take some time.

This Year, my resolutions are more
about the journey I will take,
than the immediate benefit or results.
I think these resolutions will stick-
all but one-
I mean how long can I go without sugar :)

My absolute favorite way to eat a homemade cream puff