Showing posts with label happiness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label happiness. Show all posts
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Summer Vacay Sum-up...
We just got home today after spending a week in Minnesota at my grandparents' house on the lake. It is one of my favorite places to go and spend time. I have so many memories made there. I don't remember the lake not being a part of my life because it always has been!
I was actually conceived in the master bedroom of the original cabin. Too much information?
My Grampy was born across the street from his lake home in the farm house that his parents established. My grandpa was an unexpected surprise when he arrived after his twin brother, as my great-grandma didn't know she was pregnant with two babies! He was born in 1936, and during one of the boat rides we went on this past week, I was thinking about how much family history comes from that land. It is such a legacy and I am so proud to be a descendant of it!
In the 60's and 70's, my great-grandpa divided up his farmland that lined the lake shore into plots and gave nine of them to each of his nine children and put the rest up for sale to the public. Many of the people who owned or own property on the lake now are good friends to the Peterson family. It has become a place that is so special to so many other families, too!
So many things have changed over the years. Grandpa had built a typical lake cabin on his lot in the 70's. 4 bedroom, 2 bath, open to the 2nd floor, where me and my cousins used to sleep in the upstairs hallway and peek down through the railing at our parents while they played cards and laughed until the late hours. If the whole family was at the lake for the family reunion or the 4th of July, or some other long weekend, people would be sleeping anywhere they could fit. The hallway, underneath the stairs, on the living room floor, couch, and even on the lounge chairs outside. I'll never forget the feel of the orange shag carpet under my feet when I'd come running inside from swimming in the lake.
When I was still young, Grandpa built the "big house" next door to the cabin, which is a big, brick house without shag carpet, but with lots of new things that kept us entertained when we'd visit the lake. A basement with a pool table and a hot tub, and eventually a Pac-Man machine would keep us busy for hours and out of our parents' hair. My cousins and I still enjoyed sleeping 3 to a queen bed because what is more fun than staying up super late with your cousins, having pillow fights in the pitch dark? I am the 3rd oldest cousin out of a total of 20 grandchildren and now, we're gradually marrying and having children and now there are 9 great-grandchildren already, with my bun in the oven on the way. Currently, when we all get together, there would be 45 peeps. I'm pretty sure that number is right. That's just from my grandparents, down.
I love coming from a large family. There is always some sort of action happening, and there is usually some joking and laughter going on at all times. With a large family, there are also a lot of opinions that are voiced and most of the time, no one asked for anyone's opinion, but everyone is eager to give it! I don't love this part, but it's just the way it is. It has taught me to keep my mouth shut, for the most part. Sometimes, I can't take it anymore, and I have to join in, or I'll explode! But really, for the most part, the large family experience is a positive one.
We didn't head to the lake last weekend, just to relax, although we did plenty of that! We made the trip because my oldest cousin, Lissa, was getting married in the backyard with the lake as their backdrop. When we were driving from the Twin Cities airport to the lake on Friday evening, we drove through one of the scariest rainstorms I've ever seen. There were tornado warnings surrounding us, and the radio promised they'd be paving our path the whole two hour car trip. We stopped in a suburb of the cities for dinner and to wait it out and we discussed how we were hoping the weather would shape up for Lissa's wedding the next day.
It did. The storm the night before had knocked down the tent and forced deconstruction of all of my cousin's entourage of hard work on the flowers and decorations. On Saturday morning, just mere hours before the wedding started, the backyard did not look ready. I was busy inside the big house, tending to Avery and watching the hubbub of commotion, while looking out the windows to check the progress of set-up. I have to say it was amazing what happened over the course of only a couple of hours! The backyard went from showing no sign of a wedding happening that day to complete tables and chairs, tablecloths, centerpieces, flowers, and hanging picture frames from trees.
It was a beautiful wedding. I mean gorgeous. Like, the most beautiful wedding I've ever witnessed. Honestly. Hats off to my Aunt Kris (mother of the bride)!
This wedding meant a lot to me. I grew up with Lissa. So many of my childhood memories include her. She was in my wedding and she helped pick out the bridesmaid dresses. She made it difficult because everything she tries on looks amazing on her. This wedding meant a lot to me, too, because I knew how much she was looking forward to it. I knew how happy she would be on this day, and I was so excited to witness that! Love you, Lis!
When Eric and Lissa turned toward each other to say their vows, I could only see Eric's face and I had a plain view of him. The look he had in his eyes, as he said the words intentionally made me sob. I mean, sob like a baby! I was glad I was wearing my sunglasses because it was kind of embarrassing. He just seemed to be really thinking about each word he was saying and he wanted her to hear them.
I'm so glad we made the trip to the lake this summer. It was a wonderful week, start to finish. After the wedding, most of the family left, and it was just us and my Uncle Brett's family with Grampy and Gramma. It was quiet and relaxing, and so perfect. We went to visit my great-grandma Peterson twice, and Avery loved chasing around her cat, Pepper. Yesterday, Avery and I went one last time and she gave her Great-great-grandma a kiss on the cheek. It was something I hope I never forget, but I'm kicking myself because both visits, I forgot my camera. Seriously, my pregnancy brain is reeking terrible regrets!
When we were on our way home from the airport today, I called my parents to tell them we were almost home and my Dad said he had gotten a text from my grandpa that said Great-Grandma had a heart attack this morning. She is home and alert, so it sounds like she is doing pretty well, considering, but it's just one of those things...I just saw her yesterday! And I'm so glad that I did.
I hold my family in high priority, and this week has been a valuable reminder to continue to do so. Thank you for listening to all 1,269 words of it.
I was actually conceived in the master bedroom of the original cabin. Too much information?
My Grampy was born across the street from his lake home in the farm house that his parents established. My grandpa was an unexpected surprise when he arrived after his twin brother, as my great-grandma didn't know she was pregnant with two babies! He was born in 1936, and during one of the boat rides we went on this past week, I was thinking about how much family history comes from that land. It is such a legacy and I am so proud to be a descendant of it!
In the 60's and 70's, my great-grandpa divided up his farmland that lined the lake shore into plots and gave nine of them to each of his nine children and put the rest up for sale to the public. Many of the people who owned or own property on the lake now are good friends to the Peterson family. It has become a place that is so special to so many other families, too!
So many things have changed over the years. Grandpa had built a typical lake cabin on his lot in the 70's. 4 bedroom, 2 bath, open to the 2nd floor, where me and my cousins used to sleep in the upstairs hallway and peek down through the railing at our parents while they played cards and laughed until the late hours. If the whole family was at the lake for the family reunion or the 4th of July, or some other long weekend, people would be sleeping anywhere they could fit. The hallway, underneath the stairs, on the living room floor, couch, and even on the lounge chairs outside. I'll never forget the feel of the orange shag carpet under my feet when I'd come running inside from swimming in the lake.
When I was still young, Grandpa built the "big house" next door to the cabin, which is a big, brick house without shag carpet, but with lots of new things that kept us entertained when we'd visit the lake. A basement with a pool table and a hot tub, and eventually a Pac-Man machine would keep us busy for hours and out of our parents' hair. My cousins and I still enjoyed sleeping 3 to a queen bed because what is more fun than staying up super late with your cousins, having pillow fights in the pitch dark? I am the 3rd oldest cousin out of a total of 20 grandchildren and now, we're gradually marrying and having children and now there are 9 great-grandchildren already, with my bun in the oven on the way. Currently, when we all get together, there would be 45 peeps. I'm pretty sure that number is right. That's just from my grandparents, down.
I love coming from a large family. There is always some sort of action happening, and there is usually some joking and laughter going on at all times. With a large family, there are also a lot of opinions that are voiced and most of the time, no one asked for anyone's opinion, but everyone is eager to give it! I don't love this part, but it's just the way it is. It has taught me to keep my mouth shut, for the most part. Sometimes, I can't take it anymore, and I have to join in, or I'll explode! But really, for the most part, the large family experience is a positive one.
We didn't head to the lake last weekend, just to relax, although we did plenty of that! We made the trip because my oldest cousin, Lissa, was getting married in the backyard with the lake as their backdrop. When we were driving from the Twin Cities airport to the lake on Friday evening, we drove through one of the scariest rainstorms I've ever seen. There were tornado warnings surrounding us, and the radio promised they'd be paving our path the whole two hour car trip. We stopped in a suburb of the cities for dinner and to wait it out and we discussed how we were hoping the weather would shape up for Lissa's wedding the next day.
It did. The storm the night before had knocked down the tent and forced deconstruction of all of my cousin's entourage of hard work on the flowers and decorations. On Saturday morning, just mere hours before the wedding started, the backyard did not look ready. I was busy inside the big house, tending to Avery and watching the hubbub of commotion, while looking out the windows to check the progress of set-up. I have to say it was amazing what happened over the course of only a couple of hours! The backyard went from showing no sign of a wedding happening that day to complete tables and chairs, tablecloths, centerpieces, flowers, and hanging picture frames from trees.
It was a beautiful wedding. I mean gorgeous. Like, the most beautiful wedding I've ever witnessed. Honestly. Hats off to my Aunt Kris (mother of the bride)!
This wedding meant a lot to me. I grew up with Lissa. So many of my childhood memories include her. She was in my wedding and she helped pick out the bridesmaid dresses. She made it difficult because everything she tries on looks amazing on her. This wedding meant a lot to me, too, because I knew how much she was looking forward to it. I knew how happy she would be on this day, and I was so excited to witness that! Love you, Lis!
When Eric and Lissa turned toward each other to say their vows, I could only see Eric's face and I had a plain view of him. The look he had in his eyes, as he said the words intentionally made me sob. I mean, sob like a baby! I was glad I was wearing my sunglasses because it was kind of embarrassing. He just seemed to be really thinking about each word he was saying and he wanted her to hear them.
I'm so glad we made the trip to the lake this summer. It was a wonderful week, start to finish. After the wedding, most of the family left, and it was just us and my Uncle Brett's family with Grampy and Gramma. It was quiet and relaxing, and so perfect. We went to visit my great-grandma Peterson twice, and Avery loved chasing around her cat, Pepper. Yesterday, Avery and I went one last time and she gave her Great-great-grandma a kiss on the cheek. It was something I hope I never forget, but I'm kicking myself because both visits, I forgot my camera. Seriously, my pregnancy brain is reeking terrible regrets!
When we were on our way home from the airport today, I called my parents to tell them we were almost home and my Dad said he had gotten a text from my grandpa that said Great-Grandma had a heart attack this morning. She is home and alert, so it sounds like she is doing pretty well, considering, but it's just one of those things...I just saw her yesterday! And I'm so glad that I did.
I hold my family in high priority, and this week has been a valuable reminder to continue to do so. Thank you for listening to all 1,269 words of it.
Friday, July 9, 2010
1,000 Days of Marriage...
ONE-THOUSAND DAYS AGO, Huzz and I said our "I-Do's" and committed to each other for the rest of our lives.
Forever and ever.
Always.
Devoted.
Just the two of us.
While eating dinner tonight, we were talking about some of the things that have happened in the last 1,000 days.
There are hundreds of other things we did during the past 1,000 days that I can't remember because it's ONE-THOUSAND DAYS.
How cool is that? I know that 1,000 days sounds like a lot and that it's only about 2 2/3 years, but it is still really special to me.
I love you so much, Baby. Here's to 1,000,000 more days!
Yes, I understand that's about 2,700 years. Just go with it.
For inquiring minds, since we got married, I have been keeping track of each day that has gone by with marking a tally in a little book I have...
Just kidding. I'm not crazy. I just happened to be on theknot.com the other day to look for our friend's page and found that our wedding page is still up and it said that we were married 997 days so far. I got a little excited, knowing that Friday would mark 1,000 days. I also know that I said I wasn't going to be blogging for awhile, but that I am blogging at this very minute. I'm weird like that. But seriously, this will be the last blog post you'll see from me for a long while. I am reevaluating what I do with my free time and am feeling strongly that spending the time on the computer that is required in order to blog on a regular basis is probably not the greatest use of time.
Now, I am going to sign off and go snuggle on the couch with my husband of 1,000 days and finish my celebratory margarita. Yum.
Also, if you'd like to read the accounts of our engagement that we wrote over 1,000 days ago, click here.
Forever and ever.
Always.
Devoted.
Just the two of us.
While eating dinner tonight, we were talking about some of the things that have happened in the last 1,000 days.
- Traveled to Costa Rica for our honeymoon
- Lived in NYC for 10 months (me)
- became an aunt and uncle for the first time (Hi, Hannah!)
- Traveled to Alaska
- Moved to and lived in Kazakhstan for a whole year
- learned to depend on God and each other
- prayed together every day
- Learned enough Russian to get by while living in Kazakhstan
- Flew business class (I had never done this before) while flying around the world
- rode in said Business class with Hugh Jackman (I saw him go in and out of the airplane toilet) -- I know -- I am very special.
- Traveled to Dubai for vacation
- Traveled to Turkey for vacation
- Found out we were expecting our first child
- Shed lots of tears (mostly me)
- Experienced lots of laughter together
- Moved back to the US and near our parents
- road-tripped through the midwest to visit family
- traveled to Seattle
- celebrated our 2nd anniversary
- Gave birth to our first child (trust me, that was ALL me)
- Spent lots of time awake in the middle of the night, feeding that first child (also ALL me!)
- watched in awe as our beautiful baby girl grew and changed every day
- learned what it means when another life completely depends on your existence
- traveled to NYC with baby
- traveled to Florida with baby
- became an aunt and uncle for the second time (hi, Sadie!)
- became an aunt and uncle for the third time (hi, Peter!)
- went to lots of Rockies games
- watched pretty much every sporting event possible on t.v. (surprisingly, this was NOT just Stephen - we only have one t.v.)
- learned how to be patient with the amount of sports that is watched in our house (totally me)
- turned 30 (Stephen!)
- turned 29 (me!)
- gone through some very tough times together
- gone through mostly amazing, unforgettable times together
There are hundreds of other things we did during the past 1,000 days that I can't remember because it's ONE-THOUSAND DAYS.
How cool is that? I know that 1,000 days sounds like a lot and that it's only about 2 2/3 years, but it is still really special to me.
I love you so much, Baby. Here's to 1,000,000 more days!
Yes, I understand that's about 2,700 years. Just go with it.
For inquiring minds, since we got married, I have been keeping track of each day that has gone by with marking a tally in a little book I have...
Just kidding. I'm not crazy. I just happened to be on theknot.com the other day to look for our friend's page and found that our wedding page is still up and it said that we were married 997 days so far. I got a little excited, knowing that Friday would mark 1,000 days. I also know that I said I wasn't going to be blogging for awhile, but that I am blogging at this very minute. I'm weird like that. But seriously, this will be the last blog post you'll see from me for a long while. I am reevaluating what I do with my free time and am feeling strongly that spending the time on the computer that is required in order to blog on a regular basis is probably not the greatest use of time.
Now, I am going to sign off and go snuggle on the couch with my husband of 1,000 days and finish my celebratory margarita. Yum.
Also, if you'd like to read the accounts of our engagement that we wrote over 1,000 days ago, click here.
Friday, May 21, 2010
When we registered for baby gifts and supplies, we decided not to register for an ExerSaucer, simply because our house is quite small and the ExerSaucer is quite large. So instead, we registered for the Jump 'n Go, which is one of those doorway jumping things. I've shown you a video or two of Avery in it and she loves it. However, she began to love it so much that I realized that we don't have a doorway wide enough for her to safely use it. So, my parents got ME an ExerSaucer for Mother's Day. Well, it's for Avery to use, but it's really a gift to me because it means I can get some things done and Avery can run the world from her Command Center.
Ready for take-off!
Avery just loves it! And I love it, too. I love hearing her giggles and gasps as she jumps up and down and hits all the buttons to make the things sing songs. Seriously, this thing takes TWELVE double A batteries.
It really is a command center!
And it doesn't take up as much space as I anticipated. Bring in the Command Center, take out the swing. It's a Win-Win situation we have here.
I got some great smiling, laughing, grinning, giggling shots on the playmat.
Then, later on, she was sitting in her Bumbo and I peeked around the corner and saw her kissing herself in her mirror. I grabbed my camera, but her camera radar went off and she got all hammy. So, I didn't get any pictures of her kissing her mirror, but I still got cute shots.
Be still, my heart.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Friday, March 19, 2010
A Lot Happens in a Year...
Happy 1st Birthday, Billie! Little did we know, in a few short hours, we'd be looking at this:
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Belly Laughs...
Little Girl is learning to like tummy time more and more. Especially when it's on her Boppy pillow ~ it's much more tolerable.
Yesterday, when I put her on her Boppy, she immediately started laughing.
I mean, we are talking from the belly laughing! I grabbed my camera that was on the coffee table and tried to get some good shots.
And I did get some. My video camera was in the camera bag, though, and she was done with the adorable laughing by the time I got it out, of course!
So today, I tried to replay the scenario exactly the way I did it yesterday, but I had the video camera ready this time. Even though she didn't have any belly laughs, the video is pretty cute.
And at about 1:49, she lets out a healthy burp. Ha!
Laugh Attempts from Beth Bruce on Vimeo.
Please excuse my obnoxious voice throughout the whole thing. I think I must've said "hi" a billion times...
I realize that this video will probably be mostly enjoyed by Avery's grandparents, and maybe her great-grandparents will like it, too.
Avery is bringing so much joy and smiles into our family now. I love this little girl so much!
So today, I tried to replay the scenario exactly the way I did it yesterday, but I had the video camera ready this time. Even though she didn't have any belly laughs, the video is pretty cute.
And at about 1:49, she lets out a healthy burp. Ha!
Laugh Attempts from Beth Bruce on Vimeo.
Please excuse my obnoxious voice throughout the whole thing. I think I must've said "hi" a billion times...
I realize that this video will probably be mostly enjoyed by Avery's grandparents, and maybe her great-grandparents will like it, too.
Avery is bringing so much joy and smiles into our family now. I love this little girl so much!
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Avery's First Valentine's Day...
Happy Valentine's Day, Avery!
What? It's Valentine's Day? I had no idea!
Well, in that case, I love you, Mommy and Daddy!
And now, I'm going to go back to chewing on my hand.
My dear little Avery,
I've never been a big celebrator of Valentine's Day in my life. And then, I married your daddy.
*photo courtesy of Brad Walters Photo
And when that happened, I realized that the love that your daddy and I have for each other is different than any love I have experienced before.
And then, you came along!
And once again, I found out that there was another kind of love that I had never experienced before.
You and your daddy have taken my heart.
I love you both so much and I am so blessed that I get to spend the rest of my life with you!
Friday, January 22, 2010
The Cuteness is Too Much to Handle...
Last week, we traveled to New York City to visit our good friends, who had twins exactly a month before Avery was born.
Avery got to fly on an airplane for the first time! And, it couldn't have gone any better. She was an angel.
Avery got to fly on an airplane for the first time! And, it couldn't have gone any better. She was an angel.
I love this picture because Avery's are so crossed ~ it cracks me up!
Noah, Ava, and Avery
On Friday, all 3 kiddos took a nap together in one of the cribs. Avery slept awesome. I think she liked having another warm body by her!
We walked to Madison Square Park one day and went to The Shake Shack. Yum!
Okay, prepare yourself. The following pictures are TOO CUTE.
Avery ~ what a big girl already!
Noah, a.k.a. Nathan Junior
Smiley Ava
Avery, Stephen, Me, Forrest, Katrina, Ava, Nathan, Noah
We had such a fun time in NYC! It was an awesome time with our best friends. Here's to hoping we continue sharing our lives together for years to come!
*All of the good pictures were taken by Katrina!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)