FALL FUN

This weekend we spent Saturday evening enjoying the local fall festivities that Logan has to offer. (Certainly more than we're use to!) We went with some good friends, the Kirklands, to a corn maze and the Pumpkin Walk.

SO FUN! The corn maze wasn't quite as good as the one we went to last year, but that one is haunted and well... we learned from experience LAST year, that isn't a great idea when you have children. :) Especially when you offer your baby up a freakish clown. Just kidding... ignore that statement! hahahaha....


And yes, I would have made a lovely cow, but someone had to take picture.
Anyway, it was still fun and the Pumpkin Walk was totally worth seeing. Waaaaaay better than I expected and I was excited to go before I knew what it was like. Yes-all of those animals are made out of pumpkins. Check out the elephant bums. They were my favorite!

Monday night, for FHE, we carved our lovely pumpkins and Tianna thought that was pretty darn awesome. The pumpkin-totum pole consists of our 3 other pumpkins that decided to start growing about.... September 30th. They are small and green and so we got creative. Here's a few pics and hope you enjoy your Halloween Festivities this week!

WARNING: LONG POST

So... what have the crazy Peacock's been up to lately, you ask? Well let me tell ya....

For starters, 2 weeks ago my sister-in-law, Joy, and her adorable baby, Jocelyn, came up to Logan for a visit. It was pretty cold that week, so we didn't get to do a lot of things, but we sure had fun anyway. It was really nice just to hang out and visit.
This is Jocelyn. She was just learning to crawl and Tianna and her had fun showing off for each other. The stairs became their focal point of interest.
One of the days we bundled up and went to the little zoo (I sure go there often.. i had been there the day before too. Good thing it's cheap, fun, and really close by) Thanks again guys for coming!! We loved it and we hope you will come back again!
I tried last Halloween's costume on her. It was really funny. I'm afraid it didn't quite fit.

Last weekend was Luke's fall break, and the DEER HUNT..... so we headed down to the home land. It was nice--it's been awhile since we've been there. Friday we hung out with my mom and Jana, and the kids most of the day then we went to Luke's family until Saturday night. He didn't have a deer tag so we "bird dogged" for his uncles. If you are like me and assumed bird dogging included dogs... you're not exactly right. At least in our situation. We WERE the bird dogs... on horses. It was the longest ride I've been on in several years and it was really fun. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on who you ask, they didn't get a deer that morning.

In other interesting news of last weekend, Luke's BABY SISTER announced she's getting married. So.. she's obviously not a baby but still. She was only 14 when I met her. They are getting hitched in December and we're really happy for them. We also were privileged to see his other sister whom we haven't seen since July. We have really missed you, Laura, and we're really glad you came!
CONGRATS COURTNEY AND DALE
Sunday we had to head back early so I could teach Young Womens... it was hard to leave so soon. :(
Anyway, other than our weekend events, Luke's been busy busy with school. He's been working on a senior design project and that's really interesting. He'll have to post about it because I don't know enough to explain it correctly. Basically, he's designing a remote control elevator. He also is still working 20 hours a week and trying to have time for homework. Busy guy, i'll tell ya what!

Tianna's vocabulary is rapidly increasing. It's so funny to hear that things that come out of her mouth. Her newest things that cracks me up is saying"Thank you much" instead of just thank you. I hear her say things that are definitely my vinacular... just little things I say all the time she is starting to repeat. My favorite is how she tells me "Good job" after I do ANYTHING!!! Today she was watching Dora and I was was shocked at how she was naming all of the animals and aswering the questions Dora would ask the audience. She's a smarty pants............ and some times a stinker, but that's a whole different topic.
Let's just say, if the person who invented the Magic Eraser would hear I'd give them a kiss. I just cleaned up most of my upstairs walls because she decided to draw all over them. The most frustrating part is that I asked her, "are we suppose to draw on the walls" and she said, "No." So.............. Why then, eh???
Another stinker trait is that WHENEVER Luke is around almost everything she says to him is, "No daddy" and she gives him a crusty look. He doesn't even have to DO anything and she blames him. I get after her for something and she turns to Luke to chew HIM out. It's sooo funny sometimes but its actually really sad.

Now on to me. I've been trying to enjoy a walk each day with my friend and our daughters while we still can. I'm not looking forward to being cooped up during the cold winter. I've been do a lot of little projects like sewing a blanket for my soon-to-be-here nephew, scrapbooking, and I'm starting on Christmas presents. Yesterday I really truly had nothing to do... so I did what I've been putting off for a loooooong time. I started reading Twilight. I know, many of you will gasp at how I've managed to not read any of them yet, but I just didn't feel much desire. By the time I gained that desire, and procurred a copy... i just had to wait until I could donate enough time to hurry through it. That's exactly what i did. I started ready yesterday about 4:30 and read in between fixing dinner and such until about midnight. Luke made me stop. Thankfully, I was half way through.
Then I dreamed about it through the night and couldn't wait to get up and finish it. Between peeling myself away to do laundry, dishes, and mothering.... I read all day (LAZY ME!) and then I finished up a few hours ago. I don't think I've ever read a book that long in less that 24 hours... it usually takes me a few days at least. Anyway, I'm glad I read it... but I dread starting the next one because I won't want to stop till I'm done. Thats the main reason I don't read for pleasure very often.

And now... I'm going to take an idea from a friend's blog and write something I'm grateful for on this fine Thursday. (I'll do the same each week until Thanksgiving).

I am soooooooooooooo thankful that the man i'm in love with is not a vampire. I already told Luke that about 4 times.

:) hahahahahahahaa... Have a great day everyone!

Oops I did it Again...

So I got myself involved in another play. I just can't help it!!! This time it's a show I've wanted to do for a long time and finally have the opportunity. I'm playing Simeon's Wife in



Auditions were WAAAAAY in advance this time. The show doesn't run until March. We have four rehearsals before Christmas and then we really start rehearsing in January. I'm way excited about the cast too. Several of them are my friends from Beauty and the Beast so it will be fun to reconnect with them, and the others are people that did the summer show whom I don't know yet, but they seem really really cool. It's going to be fun to be in another play... but once again, I might be crazy for deciding to do it! We shall see!!!!!!!

I do however have to thank my sweet hubby for his support! I know it takes away from our family time and it's hard to stay in town on the weekends the show runs, but I really appreciate you allowing me to do this thing that I love. THANKS LUKE!

Proposition 8

Wednesday night, Luke and I attended a special fireside held at the USU Institute of Religion on Proposition 8. We are obviously not California residence but it was open to others and we were curious. Neither of us fully understood why the LDS church was taking such a forceful stand on the issue. Boy, were we enlightened!!! We had no idea what effect legalizing gay marriage in California will have on us.
Elder Ballard, Elder Cook, and a member of the seventies, spoke and each of the urged all of us to do our part. Whether it be by calling all of our Californian friends and family, donating to the cause, or simply blogging about it, we need to do something.

Thursday we were contacted by the Herald Journal (Logan's newspaper) to comment. Last night we located the article on the internet and were sooooooooo disgusted at all of the negative comments that article created.
We need to preserve the definition of marriage!!! It's not about being anti-homosexual. It's about marriage between a man and a woman being ordained of God! If Proposition 8 is not passed then our religious freedoms are threatened because our church does not allow for gay marriages. Our children will have to be taught both heterosexual and homosexual practices in school during the sex-ed. The church could be denied it's tax-exempt status. Adoption agencies that don't allow for same sex couples to adopt can be threatened.... and so on.

Please check out these links on Proposition 8. They will express the importance of it far greater than I can.

http://www.newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/commentary/the-divine-institution-of-marriage

http://www.preservingmarriage.org/

and this is the link to the article in the Herald Journal.

http://hjnews.townnews.com/articles/2008/10/10/news/news02-10-10-08.txt

But remember, we need to act in a Christ-like manner. Much of the fireside was focused on pursuing this in a loving way like our Savior. Christ loved the sinner, but did not condone the sin. Neither should we. In the name of tolerance, too many of us condone sinful or immoral practices. That is not the Lord's way and it should not be ours. We can love our homosexual friends and family members but we should not allow for this to destroy the definition of marriage as being between a man and a woman.

It's a Good Thing Children Sleep...

Because it is the MUCH-NEEDED reminder that they are sweet and that you love them with all of your heart.

Today Tianna has been such a monster!!! It's probably because she's recovering from a cold and she's just ornery because of it.
We have a fun little ward play group that we go to on Wednesdays. Right after we got there today she hit one boy (older, of course) right on top of the head with her fist....resulting in a small time out. Then later she was shoving a much older boy (old enough to not hit her back which she probably needed). I intervened before that one got ugly. Then towards the end one mom said "Tianna is pulling that girls hair." I turn around to see her pulling this four year old's hair from both sides of her head. I snatched her right up and we marched home immediately.

Then a little while ago she was playing in my makeup AGAIN. I got her out and shut the door to my room and left her throwing a fit in the hallway to go read blogs (my time out). I few minutes later I hear this faint snore-like sound. I go out there to see her curled up on the floor SNORING really loudly. You have to know, she does NOT just fall asleep places very often so this was certainly picture worthy.

In lighter reports, Conference Weekend was WONDERFUL..... except for Tianna and I being sick. It was so inspiring and very uplifting. I loved how the whole theme was to find hope in these perilous times by righteous living. It makes me want to be so much better!!!

Our good friend, Blake, came to visit for the weekend and that was really fun, as always. We've always said he becomes Tianna's leg extentions, but this weekend it took on a whole new meaning. He even did the dishes with her on his shoulders. He's obviously not a daddy himself yet because he would let her do whatever she wanted... he's too big of sucker for cuteness.


And I must say, she usually is cute, and sweet. But she can be pretty agressive when she wants something-especially when she doesn't feel well. I had to say that so you don't think she's always a beast. Just certain days, but I'm sure all of you parents out there understand..... at least I hope you do.

Tianna's Bedroom

The quilt is FINALLY DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yay!!!!!!!!! Between all of the stress of my stupid sewing machine and then the fateful handsewing of the entire binding... that darn thing took me forever. It was fun though, and sometimes relaxing. It gave me an excuse to watch a movie every few days and just chill while I stitched on the binding. Only problem was that in the length of time to watch one movie I could only get about a foot to a foot and a half sewn. So obviously, it was a slow process. But it definately looks cute on her new big girl bed.

The day before her birthday we set up her bed and it took several nights of laying with her until she fell asleep before she'd willinging stay in it. It does have it's perks though- she can wake up and come into my rom instead of me having to go get her. I like that part :D :D :D
Naps... well, they haven't been as sucessful, but some days they are.
Actually, a miracle happened twice in one day. I tried to lay with her while she took a nap (it was the picture day so I wanted her to have a nap unfortunately it worked to my disadvantage, but that was last week's post.) but it just wasn't happening. I needed to accomplish some things so i just gave up. She followed me out of her room, went potty, then went in and crawled into her bed and went to sleep. "Oh my heck," I know!!! Then that night when I asked if she was ready for bed she said, "Yeah" and then by the time I locked up the house I found her tucked into her bed by herself. Aw... now if only that'd happen every day.

Here's what the rest of her bedroom looks like. And yes, that bookshelf like thing is the changing table. It works I guess.




































(the irony of this post is that midway through I had to go lay with Tianna until she took a nap. Of course, I fell asleep first, but oh well. Who can't use a powernap?)














Do you think my child is OCD? Sometimes I'm sure of it. This is almost as bad as her refusing to eat broken Cheerios.

Family Pictures = "I Need an Asprin"

I've been looking forward to fall for months because we were due for a new family picture and as many of you know, Logan is a GORGEOUS place when the leaves change. Well, it always is, but even more so in the fall.

Since Jana, my trusty photographer sister, and Monica, Luke's trusty photographer sister weren't readily available we hired our friend from our ward to take them. DISCLAIMER (my complaints are not against her by any means. She did a great job)

After Luke got out of work yesterday we headed up the canyon to a beautiful place called Card Canyon. We were decked out in our spiffy pink and brown attire and the leaves were a luscious red hue- the makings of a perfect family picture.

Not so much. Tianna was so uncooperative!!! She is usually such a ham for the camera (you've probably noticed by the pictures I post) but she would not have it last night. She had woken up grouchy from her nap and I thought it would pass by the time we got up there, but no. So, after great struggles and many failed pictures, it soon became too dark. We ended up with a few that were good enough to work with. Thank you Chandra for being smart enough to bring a bribe. (a SUCKER)

Being the good friend she is, she volunteered to take some more of Tianna today in a field of flowers. So, she and her daughter, and Tianna and I, treked a few blocks to this field to find that it had the sprinklers on. Dang. So we headed back up the canyon to make a second attempt at some cute pics of the crazy child in the fall foliage.
We did get a few, but I was still disappointed. She's really usually SOOOO good at posing for the camera but she still didn't want to today. Thus, family pictures= a big headache. The end.


























































By the way, family, what pics do you want a copy of?