When Ethan turned 8 he was able to join Cub Scouts! He LOVES scouts! He was so excited that his first scout activity was the Pinewood Derby. Clark and Ethan worked hard to make an awesome Blue Lightning car. Clark also helped Caden and Quinn make one too just for fun, and because he's the best Dad. He was also really excited to have Grandma Karen here that night on her way to Denver to be there for the big race.
So handsome and proud of his new Scout uniform.
I loved his little celebration "yes" every time his car won and how he skipped to take it back to the starting line.
A celebratory banana split at Dairy Queen! This little scout ate the whole thing!
Ethan kept telling everyone that he was so excited because all of our family from out of town was coming to celebrate his birthday, baptism and Easter! It was a busy weekend, but it was so fun to have guests for Easter. After going to church we had a yummy Easter lunch.
This picture was taken before Quinn went up to join the Primary kids sing an Easter song...when he glared at everyone and fought back tears the entire song. He was a little nervous!
Dyeing eggs with this bunch of boys was fun!
Lots of games with Grandpa!
Before we ate our Easter lunch we did the Romanian egg cracking tradition, and Grandma P. won!
We had a fun egg hunt outside for all the boys as soon as the snow melted.
Grammy brought a chicken egg laying game in the magic suitcase...seemed appropriate for Easter!
Ethan's baptism was one of those special life events that I had anticipated from the first time I held our sweet little baby with the tuft of red hair on the back of his head that stuck straight in the air. Living far away from family I had assumed that not many would be able to attend his special day. I was wrong. We had so many family members travel through blizzards and across many miles to be here with us. I was so touched and happy to have so many gathered in our home. It was so special for our little family. I told Ethan he was pretty lucky to have a great-grandpa, two great-grandmas, two grandpas and two grandmas at his baptism. We also had many friends attend.
Grandpa and Nada pulled their trailer all the way from Utah and were able to set up their little house in our yard. And of course, it had to snow that weekend!
Great Grandmother Peterson
Grammy and Grandpa
Great Grandpa Turpin and Nada
Grandpa Johnson and Grandma Karen
As far as Ethan was concerned, Henry was the most important guest at his baptism. Lucy and her boys got in late the night before the baptism so the first time we saw them was at the church. Henry and Ethan had big grins and big hugs for each other!
The baptism service was wonderful. Grandpa Johnson gave a prayer and Grandpa Peterson gave a last minute talk. Clark was able to baptize and confirm Ethan with the gift of the Holy Ghost. There was a sweet spirit there that reminded me again that Ethan is a special son of God and that I'm so blessed to be his mom. I am proud of Ethan. He made sure he was prepared to be baptized. He knew the covenants that he was making and was excited to do it. This past fall he made a goal to read the whole Book of Mormon before his baptism. It was a family effort for sure, but we finished the week of his baptism.
All of our family that came! I love these people!
After the baptism we had a big Cafe Rio style lunch at our house with our friends and family that came. We set up a lot of folding tables and had a great time! Ethan got another cake to celebrate his baptism day!
I don't know how my E.E. is 8! It seems like just yesterday he was the running toddler that never stopped moving and that I could never catch. At age 8 Ethan is awesome! He loves to play, his imagination is as big as the world and he is constantly getting his brothers to join him on adventures as super heroes, animals, or Star Wars jedis. Ethan is a great big brother, he is patient and kind and is a peace maker. At age 8 he is also a tease. He lives for fun...and brings a lot of fun into our home.
He was so excited to wake up to decorations and presents wrapped on the table on his birthday. He opened Caden and Quinn's presents right away. I don't know who was more excited!
For his birthday my mom, the boys and I went to a trampoline park and to see The Good Dinosaur in Colorado Springs. Perfect activity for bouncing boys!
We decided to start calling her Air Grammy!
That night Ethan requested pizza for dinner and an ice cream cake from Dairy Queen. My Dad and Grandma P. made it to Pueblo just in time for the cake!
Love those grins!
Right after this picture was taken, Caden went in a little closer to photobomb and his hair lit on fire from the candles. Luckily, it just singed off a little chunk...he was pretty embarrassed though and ran away and hid for a bit to recover. It was too funny!
Grammy came to Pueblo for Spring Break and it was the best! We had lot so fun playing, and seeing lots of movies. She helped me prepare for Ethan's big birthday and baptism celebration the following weekend. I couldn't have done it without her.
It was bring your own container to 7/11 for a Slurpee!
She got to see the boys play in their last basketball games of the season.
The peacocks were strutting at the zoo.
I had been asked to do a presentation about my mission in Romania for the youth in our stake. My mom helped me boil and dye 120 red eggs for part of the presentation. It was an awesome night.
We taught the youth a Romanian folk dance.
My Dad and Grandma P. flew in just in time for Ethan's birthday celebration. We got to take Grandma for a little nature walk around Garden of the Gods.
Quinn and I got to spend a day with Grandma at Royal Gorge Basin. They both loved the gondola ride.
A few weeks ago I found this red mailbox at Goodwill. I was so excited to make it into our family love note box for the month of February. Of course, Caden was the first to get into the spirit of it! It is only February 10th, and we've gone through more envelopes than I can count. Tonight it was a small, sparkly "diamond" or rock in an envelope for each person. Last week he pulled $1 out of his piggy bank for everyone in the family. That little sweetheart is a giver. We've loved checking the box each night at dinner. Both of the boys' Grandmas even sent Valentines to be put in the box.
Caden was so excited to find a special letter for him in there one night. It was a card from mom asking him on a date. He was over the moon excited!
A few days later we got to go on our date. Before we left Clark slipped him a little money and told him to buy me a treat. He was insistent on finding me a Diet Coke to buy...so we headed into Target to start our date. He shyly went to the snack bar and said, "2 pops please," then handed the girl his money...he was so excited he ran back and gave me a hug before she could even give him his change.
For the rest of our date we went to the craft store (Caden's heaven), and glowing mini golf at the mall. We finished with frozen yogurt at Menchie's. Caden said it was the best day ever. I thought it was pretty great to spend the day with my little buddy!
This month of love has been interesting for Caden as he informed Clark and I of his first "crush." In case we didn't know he explained that a crush is when you want to talk to someone, play with them at recess, and be with them. When I asked if that was the same as a friend, he looked at me like I was so dense and said, "it's so much more than that."
Tonight we made his Valentine box, we wanted a 3D owl, so we covered a big plastic pretzel container. I actually enjoy doing projects with Caden. He gets so into it and has so much fun with it. Totally worth a few glue gun burns to see his smile at the final result!
A little video to wish a Happy Valentine's to you!
Go Broncos! It's been pretty fun being Broncos fans this year! Especially because the boys are on board now. Pueblo is a huge supporter of the Broncos. I've never seen more orange in my life than if I run to Walmart on the weekend of a big game. The boys are into it big time because their teachers and friends at school are big fans. Ethan's teacher even went to the Superbowl this year. Caden made little Broncos posters to hold up during the game, and all the boys made sure we all had on Bronco gear to watch the game.
I ran to Walmart Saturday to get a few treats for the big game and it was busier than it was on Black Friday! The shelves were picked over on important things like blue Kool-Aid, Little Smokies, and Sunkist.
My favorite part was the half-time show. Especially my own private half-time show I got in my living room. Bruno Mars brings the party to our house!
We were so excited that the sunset that night was bright orange! Love my football fans!
