Happy Pioneer Day ;)

All Is Well... watch this.. it's worth it

too long...

It's been way too long since I've updated. I'll just jump in with some pictures :)

Sage LOVES to cook/bake!!!

Here's Gracie 'painting' rocks (a suggestion from Michelle that is ingenious!!) :) She loved it!!

The lineup

Posing in front of a Magnetix creation :)

Alex is always building something!

We have really enjoyed the cooler winter months and are sad to see them come to an end. We have given the AC some pre-season use already! Life keeps us pretty busy! Sage is almost done with 2nd grade and she takes piano lessons!! Alex missed the cut-off date for Kindergarten, so he's been home keeping me busy and playing with Gracie. Grace talks so much (!) and is so active and just a joy! We all love her so much. She'll be 2 in a little over a month, and I can't believe it. We moved in March, so I'm actually kind of still recovering from that. I don't enjoy that much change (and stress) at once, but luckily it all turned out well. We moved only about 1 mile down the road so we could stay in the same ward and keep Sage at the same school as before. We really like our new home and feel extremely blessed to have found it. What a relief. So many wonderful friends helped us with packing, moving out/moving in, setting up beds, moving around furniture, bringing us food... the list goes on and on. We talked about service today in Relief Society and ladies were taking turns going up to the front and telling a service someone has done for them... I have countless blessings. It's so interesting to me that when we have the most trials, we also seem to have the most blessings... 'my cup runneth over' for sure.

As for Dave and I, we have been trying to be good parents to these very strong spirited and energetic (difficult!??) kids. I really hope I am doing it right! Dave is getting ready to leave for 4 months for a new summer job. I'm excited he'll be working with my friend Michelle's husband... again, blessings, blessings blessings! We are excited about the potential this job holds for our family and hope Dave does well. He's just finishing up a few things here and then he'll be on his way. We will really miss him and I panic hourly at the realization that I will be on my own with these 3 kids! I am outnumbered for sure!! yikes! And I (Rachel) am still doing data entry (it's been almost a year and a half now) twice a week and have been babysitting a sweet 3 yr old boy once or twice a week. I spend my days juggling the kids and all the other responsibilities a mom has. I got a child seat for my bike a few weeks ago and have loved riding it all around with Grace. She loves going out for bike rides and I do too. Also, I have been making cleaning supplies. Some may think I'm nuts, but I'm having fun with it, learning and will be saving money in the long run so that's a good thing, right? Maybe I'll post some recipes and pics of the cleaners I've been making some time.

I have plenty more pictures I should post, but for now, this will have to do!

Have a great day! :)

Regrets

Grandpa Bill was always so good to all of us. He never missed a birthday or anniversary. He never missed Christmas. He always sent a homemade card from the Chico Everett's; so much love and thoughtfulness. We decided, back in June, that it was well past time that we repaid the favor. We started a birthday package for him. It was his 84th birthday. This is the picture and letter Sage made for him. I never got around to sending it. I regret everything I wanted to do for him or should have done for him, and didn't. I love him and am grateful to call him Grandpa. I will miss him so much. So many regrets...



I can't wait to see him again someday :) and I am so glad to know that I will.

Still Here...

Jill and Kevin's Last Day

Some people made this video after the first one (see below)... this is great!! Enjoy!!

JK Divorce Entrance Dance @ Yahoo! Video

Forever... !!!

Sa-weet moves! ;) Love this!

Winter In July!!

http://www.azcentral.com/commphotos/azcentral/11511/1/33

Alex is famous! Check out pictures numbered 29 and 30!!

Do you live around here?

Tonight I went to see the fireworks with the kids. We ended up on a street in a quiet neighborhood. We watched the fireworks, took lots of pictures (I'll upload those later) and it was nearing the end when Alex, looking ahead of us, starts pointing and saying 'we don't show our tummies! she is showing her tummy!' I tried to quiet him down as I noticed a twenty-something girl walking down the street in only a skimpy bikini! Yes, it is 100 degrees outside at 10pm, but really?, I thought... couldn't you put some clothes on? lol Anyway, moments later she was right in front of me talking to me. Alex still hadn't stopped saying 'we don't show our tummies!! hey, she's immodest!!' She asked me if I live around there. I told her no. She then told me that she was at a party and she wanted to go find the fireworks and no one else wanted to. So she started walking through the neighborhood to get closer to them and now she didn't know how to get back! So here is this lady, in only a bikini, with no phone, no shoes and HER TUMMY SHOWING, for crying out loud!!! Alex was horrified!! It was so funny! So after she explained to me what happened and I told her again, that I'm sorry I don't know my way around that neighborhood she started to continue on her way. Alex stopped her by saying 'you know, we don't show our tummies. It's not modest to show your tummy'!! I was in shock!! I didn't know what she'd do!! She told him 'oh I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.' (she sounded sincere... it was funny), and then she walked away. I turned around to see where she'd gone and she was turning the corner. I know she didn't come from that direction, because she hadn't passed us before. I sure hope she found her way! I would be terrified if I were in that situation. Actually, I would never be in that situation unless it was one of those dreams where you wander around searching for something and you never have enough clothes on! That was so random and strange. I actually felt worried about her. But I feel a bit better now that Alex remembered her in his prayers tonight, asking that she make it home safely to her clothes so she can cover up her tummy! I love you Alex! You are SO funny!

Happy 4th of July!!

So Great!!!

I am entering to win this amazing bike! Click on the picture and you could enter to win it too! :)

Photos = Happiness!

Grace and her best friend, Kendal (the Photographer's daughter)! They are so cute together! Unfortunately, they just moved away.
:( We miss them already!



So curious...




My best helper; sweetie :)

There is a nice, calm, gentle boy inside of Alex, somewhere.. here is a shot of when his 'good side' came out for a moment!

My babies :) who aren't babies anymore! Sage is turning 7 tomorrow!



My wonderful friend, Emily, took these gorgeous pictures of my kids this week! I LOVE them so much! If you look at the top right of my sidebar you can see a slideshow of many more pictures from that Happy Day!! :)

So, what do you think?

I wonder...

We're sick. The kids and I are sitting at home, watching Charlie and The Chocolate Factory. I was just thinking, I really should read the book this movie (and Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory) was based on. Everytime I've seen a movie after I've read the book, I've always liked the book better. I wonder if it would be the same with this one. The kids and I really enjoy this movie... so we'll see.

I wonder which other books (that later became movies) would be worth reading... ?

Darlybird

I found this cute site that sells all kinds of clever, cute, and fun treasures. You really should check it out! I want to buy everything!

It's been so long...

Gracie is now 9 months old! And I haven't posted new pictures of her for so long... you might not even recognize her! She has changed so much and is such a joy! Here are some pictures my friend, Emily, took of Grace about a month ago... Thank you Emily! These pictures have made me so happy! :)

I hope to do some catch-up posting very soon... but here's a quick list of Grace's current new tricks! (everything she's been up to since I last posted)

rolling

crawling

sitting

pulling up to a stand

cruising!!

eating solids

saying things like: ba ba, da da, ma ma (occasionally)

and lots of squealing and random cute sounds!

oh and she finally moved from the pak n play in our room to her actual crib at about 8 months old (she's so grown up, sharing a room w/ her big sister!)... ok I'll admit it, I was the one who didn't want her to make the move!.. but I finally gave in to the inevitable!

How did life ever exist before Grace?? :)

10 Years

13 years ago, I met this guy..... (isn't he amazing??!!) As Debbie Gibson would say, I got lost in his eyes. It was Debbie wasn't it? Anyway, look at those eyes...

I saw him after my Spanish class (at Ricks College) and there was something fascinating about him... everyone/everything else was a blur around me... I followed him and was devastated when I lost track of him. I met up with my friend and went to the cafeteria for lunch and upon finishing my silent mealtime prayer, like all the good little boys and girls did ... I looked up and saw him right in front of me, waiting to talk to me. !!! It was meant to be. He asked if he could join me, and the rest is history!! ;)

Fast forward to just over 3 years later and here we are right after we were married in the Logan, Utah temple on January 2, 1999.

Today is our 10 year anniversary of that special day; our wedding and more importantly, our marriage to each other for time and all eternity.

I'm reminded today, and lately, that we didn't agree to be together for only the good times, but for the hard times... in sickness, health, richer, poorer. We've been experiencing the hard times lately... the parts you don't really think about when you're standing outside the temple, in pure bliss, after finally being married...

I didn't even care that it was probably 5 degrees outside!! I was in love and
MARRIED!! :)

Those kids didn't know what was to come! But they were sure that they could work through anything!

I know that if we can just stick together and support eachother that we'll enjoy many more milestone anniversaries in the coming years. Here's to another 10 years (for a start), Dave. I love you all the much!

Love, your Rachel

(what is this? the paper anniversary or something? Hmmm?)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Make a Smilebox greeting

I Love Coupon $ense!!

I just have to shout it from the rooftops that I LOVE COUPON SENSE!!!

I few months ago I finally, after hearing people talk about coupon sense for years, took the plunge and joined coupon sense to see if it's all everyone tells me it is. Well, it is.

I have had many great shopping trips, thanks to my instructor and friends (who tell me how to get the best deals)... but I think today's trip was, by far, the best!

Ok, so here's what I got:

2 bags of cheetos

2 gallons of milk

3 containers of Tylenol (24 count in each, I think)

3 10 packs of disposable razors

3 Dial hand soap pumps

2 boxes of Swiss Miss hot chocolate

2 boxes of Zatarains rice mix

1 3Liter Arrowhead water

3 boxes of Hefty ziploc bags

5 boxes of Betty crocker mashed potato mixes

6 cans of carnation evaporated milk

Drum roll please.... I got all of this for a total of $1.39 !!!!

(yes, that includes tax)!!!!

I saved a total of 98.42 % WOW

If if you're talking dollars and cents... I saved $87.12!!

Incredible!!

Seriously, you really should look into coupon sense. The savings are ridiculous!!

Oh and if you end up joining, please mention my name (Rachel Peacock from Arizona). :)

http://www.couponsense.com/

I think I'm going to go back today for another round of savings!!

some catching up...

Here are some pictures of Alex in gymnastics class. I think it's so funny how he's looking at himself in the mirror during class. :) We're done with gymnastics for now. Hopefully there will be more to come! :)

Gracie got a blanket from our ward's Relief Society... isn't it pretty?!? I love it! She does too :)

More than meets the eye...

Alex is THRILLED to finally have his halloween costume (he's been wearing it almost nonstop since we brought it home)! His latest obsession is with Transformers and his favorite color is yellow so, of course, his favorite Transformer is Bumblebee! :) I told him to strike a pose and this is what he did (with sound effects, of course)!



He's also discovered that he loves the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It's so crazy that my 3 year old likes the stuff that was cool when I was a kid! Oh and speaking of him being 3... he'll be 4in 9 days!! wow! crazy.