Pederson's dirty dozen

Listen to my words...

2012-01-16T20:14:00.001-07:00

We visited some friends this weekend, and at one point the other mother and I were cooking breakfast in the kitchen. We conversed about many things and the topic came around to some new ideas in the church that have been floating around and taking root over the past few years. (We were both delighted to find that neither of us were being swayed by the new shiny ideas.) Around this time I noticed my two oldest boys hovering around the stove. I wasn't sure if they were truly that hungry and wanted first dibs at the pancakes, or if they wanted to help us cook. They told me they were interested in our conversation and wanted to listen to the discourse.

Proverbs repeats the phrase, "Son, listen to my words". What a joy to know that my boys moved closer to be able to hear what we were talking about, to glean what they could from our iron sharpening iron. Thank you, Lord, for faithful children that seek to know You more and long for Your teaching.

Hamlet revised

2011-11-29T22:34:00.004-07:00

This video is a little rough around the edges, but the content is great. We captured our son, Brian, delivering an interp. Watch and enjoy!~

http://youtu.be/HKXW5az3DSU

Due date in 6 days.

2011-09-20T20:22:00.003-06:00

September 19, 2011

This evening I was sitting around the living room with my husband and the youngest 6 children. I looked at each one of them and thought back to their labors and deliveries. Sure, each one was painful, but brought about the same result - a glorious new little baby! I had survived each one and I will get through this labor as well I assured myself. I have been praying that not only would I not be fearful or afraid of this delivery, but that I would be excited and looking forward to this birth with anticipation. I am struggling with that a little.

As I closed my eyes and rested my head on the back of the couch, I was thinking about a dream I had a few weeks back. In this dream I was holding my new baby and experienced the rush of emotions that come along with holding him/her for the first time. Those same physical feelings of hormones, adrenaline and bliss washed over me again as I relived this dream, accompanied by the feel of the baby's skin against my face and lips as I kissed him/her for the first time, the smell of the skin of my new baby, the sweet sounds that newborn babies make, the little movements, the little hands and I found myself longing to go through labor to feel all of those beautiful things again. What a glorious gift!

God knows just exactly what we need and exactly when we need it to be encouraged in the work that we are doing. So many people think that I must have things easy by now with my 12th baby. Some babies have been easier to deliver than others but they by no means get easier just because they are number 11 or number 12. Each labor and delivery is so very different and rather indicative of the personality of each child. The experience is as much theirs as it is mine. We do it together. I can't wait to see what is in store this time around and to meet this special, new little one.

September 20, 2011

I was able to hold a 2 week old little baby today and I cried as I snuggled and swayed with this fresh little baby boy. It reminded me of God's goodness to me with the last 2 babies just days before their births. On both occasions God provided a new little baby for me to snuggle with to help remind me that the labor and delivery is all worth it, that any discomfort I will experience over the next few days is worth it.

I am overwhelmed by God's provisions in my life. They are everywhere around me. I only need to look beyond myself at the workings around me to see them. God is always good and always faithful.

The blessing of the Lord's Day.

2011-09-04T22:49:00.005-06:00

Today was a glorious day spent doing all of the things that one should do on a day "off". I slept in a little later, played with my kids in the pool, blew up balloons for them, watched a child do a back flip on the trampoline for the first time, spent quiet time doing crosswords on the back deck with two of my girls, shucked corn, peeled potatoes, had a turkey with mashed potatoes and corn on the cob for supper, ate caramel popcorn and watched a movie all together as a family. There was even time to Skype twice with beloved members of our family. All in all, it was a beautiful day of rest and fellowship together.

Before it all got started this morning God placed a burden on my heart. What came to mind were the many friends and family I know that do not participate or enjoy the glorious Lord's Day rest that we were intended to partake of on a weekly basis. It grieved me to consider what so many are missing out on by being too busy to take a day "off".

God gave us the Sabbath, or Lord's Day as a gift and a blessing. He created the day for us, not the other way around. It was never meant to be a burden or a means of taking away our fun. It was a gift, given to us by our Creator who knew our frame, knew our needs and knew that we would need a weekly rest to recharge and gear up for the upcoming days.

Let me take a moment to simply list the different blessings that we have found by taking literally the command to "do no work" on the Lord's Day. We are able to plan times of fellowship with our friends and neighbors both to encourage and to be encouraged, we aren't pulled in different directions on this day and can spend the day updating each other on the weeks activities, there is no hectic schedule to keep, naps are for everyone who wants one with no guilt, projects that are looming are forgotten and put aside with no guilt, and there is time to minister to the needs of others. We also do special things just on Sundays like drinking chocolate milk for breakfast or having root beer floats for dessert after lunch.

Like too many things in life, the Lord's Day rest is overlooked and pushed aside as burdensome, legalistic, old fashioned, not realistic in today's world, and on and on could go the list. Rather than see it that way, I challenge you to see it from a positive point of view. Look at all that you receive! God wants to bless you richly each week, on His special day. Why turn that down?

God's plans

2011-06-09T08:21:00.003-06:00

"I woke up this morning feeling a bit like my 5 days with my husband were already over before they began. I had to remind myself that it is important to make each moment count. So instead of thinking of it as 5 days that have already passed, I will be concentrating on the 120 hours I have left!"

This was my morning update on Facebook today. I was asked by a friend if seeing the positive in things and remaining calm during such uncertain times is a learned response or if I was raised that way. I had to answer that because of God's continuing faithfulness to me, I have no reason to doubt. There is no need to fret or worry about what will happen tomorrow for I have no control over that.

In my younger married days, I remember as a mother and as a wife trying to control every little detail to make sure that everything turned out the way I wanted it to. Somewhere between then and now I have learned a few things. First, when things turn out contrary to how I would have envisioned, more often than not it is much better than I could have planned. What a pleasant surprise to realize that other people have great ideas, too, and that I'm not the only one who can be right. Second, God works all things together for good to those who are the called (Romans 8:28) so I don't need to take care of God's work. Life is much more peaceful when we trust in Him, have faith that He is working in His time for our good and accept the gifts He gives us. I believe that to include going where He wants us to go and accepting whatever He gives us to deal with (knowing that He is with us along the way).

For me, that means a temporary separation from my husband and two oldest boys. I don't know why things have worked out like they have, but it is not my place to question God. It is only for me to have faith that He is working out the details for my good. I know that He is with each of us during these difficult weeks and months.

Bloom where you are planted.

2011-03-18T09:22:00.003-06:00

This saying is such a beautiful reminder to "give thanks in all things". It is a practical way to live out this biblical truth. No matter where we are, no matter what the circumstance, we need to make the best of it and look for ways to bless others.

This phrase has become a new favorite of mine for several reasons.
#1. We are not to worry and fret about tomorrow because the Lord takes care of our provisions. We are to concern ourselves with today. What can we do that says, "God, thank you for what you have given me today." Instead of saying, "I hate the snow. Spring can't come soon enough." Why not remember that it is only for a season, snow is great for sledding, skiing and building snowmen and go enjoy it? Children will emulate what they see you doing. We want thankful children, not children prone to grumbling and disputing. So whip out the hot chocolate and the marshmallows and enjoy the snow.

#2. I see so many people that put their hope in finding the right job, moving to the right city, making enough money....if only, if only, if only. It is sad to watch them rely on these outward things. God takes care of those details, we need only to focus on our daily walk, in faithfulness. He wants us, right where we are, right now, to use our gifts and talents to bless those around us. If we are so focused on doing God's job, we won't have time for the tasks He has given us to do.

#3. There is a lot of symbolism that can be drawn from this small command. Flowers bloom, and in doing so, bless many others. Nobody can deny how pleasant the fragrant aroma from a garden can be. Blooms are beautiful to the eye. I so enjoy a bouquet of fresh flowers on my dining room table, or bouquets of wild flowers on our patio table. Blooms also bless the bees and so many other other things. When we bloom, rather than sulk or remain drawn inward, we are able to bless others. Most of the time, we won't even know we have done it, and that's a good thing.

We need to walk in obedience in this simple command. The blessings are enormous. In all things we are to give thanks. Make the very most of each thing God has given you. How will you bloom where you are planted today?

The Fruits of Training

2011-03-05T08:26:00.002-07:00

As has been the custom for the past 10 years, Saturday is our cleaning day. This doesn't mean that we don't clean the rest of the week, because with 13 people in the house we do a fair amount of cleaning every day. It refers more to the once a week, every room gets a thorough once over type of cleaning. We vacuum the carpet and stairs, sweep and mop the hardwood floors, scrub down the bathrooms, dust, tidy up the garage, pull out the laundry hampers and clean up all of the lint that has glued itself to the laundry room floor, and spot clean any other area that needs it. (How do the fingerprints get up there?)

As a child, I remember cleaning the house before Grandma would come to visit. The list included the basics, vacuuming, washing the dining room floor and dusting. That was it for my list. It was 3 small rooms, no bathrooms and I remember the feeling of utter doom. Surely it was going to take me aaaall daaaaay! Instead of approaching the task with joy at being able to serve, I was overwhelmed with thoughts of selfishness. I would drag my feet, do as little as possible and whine incessantly when asked to go back and complete the task properly. Ugh! (I have apologized to my mother a plethora of times for my behavior.)

I didn't learn the joy of cleaning, or how to do it completely and efficiently. I was left to learn these lessons with small children in the home, at the same time I was learning how to be a mother, how to be a biblical wife, how to cook and how to manage my home.

I want something better for my kids. I want household tasks and efficiency to be the least of their concerns when they have little ones to care for. With this in mind, we started teaching our children how to cook, clean and take care of things around the house. For our Saturday cleaning, we have 6 different tasks for the children to choose from. Each of the children, starting at the age of 9, take a task. Often times two will work together to increase efficiency. The younger children, 3-7, follow along and help where they can. For example, they help whoever is vacuuming by moving objects in the way. Some children sing while they work, some children listen to music on an iPod, and some quietly work while listening to the noise around them. However it is accomplished, I remind them that God wants us to serve cheerfully. He is not interested in outward obedience with inner grumbling. To Him that is not serving nor obeying.

When Sunday comes around, we can enjoy our sabbath rest, knowing that each of us has contributed to the order, peace and cleanliness of our home. This is just one of the fruits of faithful training.

Packing

2011-02-11T12:22:00.002-07:00

We are getting ready to go away for a few days. In preparation, today is packing day. It is also, vacuum out the van day, cook food for the trip day, wash the laundry so we can pack it day, print out the maps day and miscellaneous other labels. We are used to all of the activity it takes to get 13 people ready for a small trip. Knowing that most of you out there reading this blog are not from a family of this size, we thought maybe you would be interested to know how we do it.

#1. There is a family meeting, usually the night before, detailing what clothing items need to be set out and what time they are expected to be ready for inspection.

#2. A list is made of every task that needs to be completed, and in what order, so that they can be assigned. Nothing is crossed off of this list without the work being checked.

#3. Clothes are ironed and placed on hangers with the necessary accessories. For the boys, their church clothes are layered on a hanger with their pants, t-shirt, dress shirt, blazer, belt and tie. Tucked inside their shoes are their socks. For the girls, their dresses are ironed if necessary and layered with their sweaters, or blouses. For trips with multiple dress outfits, the tights (or socks) belonging to each outfit are placed in a small ziploc bag and affixed to the hanger.

#4. Clothes are inspected for appropriateness, cleanliness, completeness and grouped together by room. For example, when camping, all of the campers in a tent will have their clothes in the same suitcase. When staying in a hotel, all of the children in the same room will have their clothes in the same suitcase. When staying with another family, the children staying in the same house will have their clothing in the same suitcase. Once filled, the suitcases are labeled with the day and the names of the children. Because this trip is short, there will only be one suitcase per group for the entire trip. The little boys (ages 10 -1) will have their clothes together, the little girls (7-5) will have their clothes together, etc. The bathroom bags are packed in the same way to ensure that the necessary items are with the right children. The hair brush for the little girls won't do us any good if it is in a bag with the older girls in another house.

#5. When packed, the suitcases are taken to a central location for loading.

#6. In the morning, before we leave, the pillows, blankets and other personal things are loaded up into the van. The water bottles are loaded as well as the food. For most trips, we pack sandwich fixings and stop along the way to make our lunch. For a snack we pack pretzels, veggies and dip, string cheese, etc.

Right now we have most of the clothes ironed, some set out, some still washing, the van is already vacuumed and ready, and the bread is baking. The plans have already been made and the maps are being printed. The rest of the day will be filled with waiting for the last few items to be ready to pack, last minute tasks that need to be done, taking care of forgotten details, etc.

When I look over the pictures from the last few years of our travels, I remember all of the memories we made, the people and places we were able to visit and the laughter that we shared. Never once do I think about all of the hours of preparation that went into each trip.

Where will your travels be taking you?

Sledding 2-7-11

2011-02-08T10:04:00.002-07:00

Oh yes. The kids take their sledding seriously. We have received several feet of snow over the past few days and few things take advantage of the fresh snow like sledding. It only took a few minutes to get geared up and they were off.

There is a look of doom on one little girl's face. This is from prior sledding experiences where she fell off and landed face first into the snow. It was time for her to go with Dad and get back on the horse, so to speak. We try to teach our children to overcome their fear of such things. After much encouragement, praise and loads of fun, she is now an experienced sledder and looking forward to the next trip.

The ride home tells of an afternoon well spent.
Hot chocolate with marshmallows of course.

The best of friends. What a blessing.

Devils Tower - July 2010

2011-02-07T09:07:00.003-07:00

Last year we took several trips back to North Dakota, one for a wedding and one for a class reunion. This was the final leg home after the last trip with a stop overnight at Devils Tower. Even though the crew was a little road weary we had a great time. We made some amazing memories. We watched a movie on a big screen TV outside on the movie deck. It started to get
cold so a few of us went back to the camp site. The die hard viewers stayed through the cold and watched the last few minutes huddled with other campers under the umbrellas after it started to rain.

In the morning, this was our view of Devils Tower from our cabin. God's blessings are everywhere!

(l-r) Adam, Sabrina, Ruth - Nicholas is in the background

Back at the cabin, the kids enjoyed the swing and time to run around enjoying the sunshine, the grass and a book or two.

Back row (l-r) Ellie, Matthew, Joseph, Nicholas
Middle row (l-r) Maria, Mom (with Hezekiah), Brian, Ruth, Thomas
From row (l-r) Sabrina, Adam

This was from our day hike at Devils Tower.

Welcome Back!

2011-02-07T08:51:00.003-07:00

The title refers more to me, than to any of you. I'm not sure if any of you "left". My guess is that after two years of posting nothing new you simply stopped checking back. After I joined the ranks of Facebook, I spent less time blogging here. The simplicity of uploading pictures once to Facebook was appealing, so I quit doing that here.

Regardless of my excuses, I am trying to make this blog a habit. I have often stated that I wish I had kept a daily or weekly journal when I had nothing but wee little youngsters. Those days were filled with so many blessings but were definitely a struggle. Days tended to run into weeks and into years and I don't remember so many of the details that I wish I had logged. Even though it is 10 years too late, I hope to keep track of some of the daily things we learn, God's blessings all along the way, and some of the craziness that is our daily life. So I say, "welcome back"!

Christmas pictures of the Pedersons.

2008-12-03T08:44:00.003-07:00

We had a few pictures taken by a photographer and they turned out beautifully, except for the family picture. It was hard squeezing all 12 of us into the picture and they aren't as nice as I had hoped. Anyway, the dark image on the bottom left is Ruth who you will see in other pictures. Brian is directly to my right and is actually 14, although his placement makes him as small as Sabrina who is only 5!! I will try to write and catch up on our life later, but for now the pictures will have to suffice. Love to you all! ~Amy & co.
Look at this handsome crew! Obviously Larry and I are in the middle. We will start at the top and work ourselves around clockwise. The top two girls are Ellie and Maria, then Brian, Sabrina, Adam, Joseph, Matthew, Nicholas, Ruth and Thomas.

Can you believe almost 17 years we have been married? I still remember the day we got married.

Here are my girls and young ladies. Top left is Maria 12, top right is Ellie 16. Bottom left is Sabrina 5, and bottom right is Ruth 3.

The boys. Top left is Thomas 16, then top middle is Brian 14, top right is Nicholas 10. Larry is holding Adam 1, bottom middle is Joseph 6 and bottom right is Matthew 8.

All of my 10 children. Nicholas, top left, was relaxing his face in between all of the smiling and he was captured here doing just that. This is such a true picture of all of the kids. 10 arrows in our quiver that we are sharpening and honing for the Lord's service. Praise the Lord for them all!

Sabrina turns 5 and the big party.

2008-09-22T23:48:00.002-06:00

This would normally be the place where pictures would appear, but alas, there are no pictures to post. The day was filled with talking, eating, talking, more talking and more eating. It was a fabulous day of fellowship, fun, laughter and basking in the friendships that the Lord has blessed us with. To all that came, thank you for blessing us. I wish there were pictures to post, but I never got around to finding the camera.

The pinata was a smashing success, the banana splits (with homemade strawberry and vanilla ice cream, homemade caramel sauce, crushed pineapple, chocolate sauce, whipped cream and banans) were fantastic, as were the root beer floats and all of the delicious food that was brought to share.

You will have to imagine the rest. We haven't had the family celebration of her birthday yet, so she has yet to open the family's gifts for her. I will try to get pictures of that. :)

Elkhead reservoir.

2008-09-15T22:15:00.004-06:00

We planned a picnic to the local reservoir for Sunday afternoon. We made monster cookies, lots of sandwiches, brought chips and carrots and water and headed out. Not wanting to spend $6 to park on the Lord's Day, we found a pull-off and started eating our lunch. The children of course wanted to walk the steep path down to the water. So, after eating and cleaning up, Dad led the way!
Pictured above, back row l-r: Brian, Maria, Adam, Ellie, Thomas
bottom row l-r: Nicholas, Sabrina, Joseph, Matthew, Ruth

When we got to the bottom, we found a little beach (I mean little) and sat down to enjoy the sun and the water. Adam found a few rocks and decided to taste them. Isn't he just too cute?
Yes, they are quite hard.
"Oh Mom! Don't you just love me?"

"Yes, honey, I do"
The short version is that the kids wanted to swim and we didn't have any swimming suits. The longer version would include things like swimming in their underwear, drying off on rocks, perhaps a 30 second skinny dip (carefully planned in the murky water so nobody was the wiser) and an afternoon of splashing, skipping rocks and gut renching laughter. What a blessing to be able to spend the Lord's Day basking in His sun, splashing in His water and enjoying His creation all around us.

After all the swimming and drying off, the hike back up looked a little daunting (at least for Mom). In my defense, I was also carrying Adam in the carrying pack which added 20 lbs. So up we went. We were breathing pretty heavy when we reached the top and were thankful for the air conditioning and cool water waiting for us. We headed back home and ended the evening with a few games of foosball. Our beds were calling so we retired early. All in all, a fantastic day.

Brian's 14th Birthday (September 12, 2008)

2008-09-15T22:09:00.003-06:00

On the right we have a new 14 year old. The day started with breakfast in bed (his favorite--waffles with strawberries and whipped cream) and a rousing verse of Happy Birthday. As expected, he harumphed with a smile on his face when we sang although inside I think he was secretly delighted. Here he is pictured with one of his gifts.
A second gift is pictured below. I couldn't resist buying it for him. He has such a quicky and funny sense of humor and immediately appreciated the fun in it.
Nicholas (fingers only pictured on the left and right) thought the shirt needed a little help, or rather that all of you needed a little help in order to read the entire thing. Thanks Nick! Brian got a kick out of all the comments he received all day. Happy Birthday, dear Brian!

I'm an official soccer mom.

2008-09-10T10:07:00.003-06:00

Nicholas decided to try soccer this summer. The family wasn't able to go to every game, but they did attend a few. Mom was at every game, however.
Here are Ruth and Sabrina always have a good time.
Look at those sweet sisters.
Here he comes!
Nicholas is in the bottom row, second from the right.
Here is the whole team pictured after the last game, eating pizza. The coach is top left. What a great group of kids! Nicholas thoroughly enjoyed himself and plans on playing again next year.

Gypsum days parade.

2008-09-10T10:01:00.003-06:00

Part of the gypsum days festivities. A helicopter came and did a fly over before the parade started. It made 3 passes total, then parked in an empty parking lot. The children were able to get up close and inspect.

During the parade, a few of the older kiddos rode on the float for the Gun Club. They were up in the log cabin. After the parade, the fire trucks shot out multiple streams of water to shower anybody who wanted to get wet. Now that's a parade!

Above, Joseph peeking out the back window.

Some of the Dade kids and Law kids were also on the float. Some of the pictures are too shaded to see them, but they were there!

Gypsum Days 2008

2008-09-10T09:47:00.005-06:00

The following pictures were taken in Gypsum, CO during the Gypsum Days festival. The Law family graciously invited us and the Dades to camp out on their land and enjoy the parade and other events. We are already planning to go back next year!

His hair looks like it's on fire!

Mr and Mrs Law (Jerry and Lara) holding the youngest Dade, Dathan.
Jerry and Lara with Cathy Dade and Dathan.

more trick photography (or should I say lucky photography)

lots of smores were eaten by giddy young ones

fun with fire

Maria's 12th Birthday

2008-09-10T09:39:00.003-06:00

Maria did in fact have a birthday party. She wanted to have a water balloon fight, so we tracked down some water balloons, filled the cooler with them and behold, a water balloon fight. It was a nice hot day and the kids had a blast. Okay, bad pun.
Above, Thomas and Maria and other children not looking at the camera.
Above from left to right, Ellie, Thomas, Joseph, Nicholas & Maria.

Thank you for the birthday money!

Some beautiful scenery.

2008-09-10T09:26:00.003-06:00

This sunset picture was taken by the children and doesn't capture the beauty of that night. What a sweet thing to know that tomorrow night God will paint another picture just for us. The whole world is a museum of God's handiwork.

The children are fascinated by rainbows. This summer has been a wonderful summer for seeing them! We saw a full rainbow one day, but were not able to get that photographed. We have also had the privilege of seeing a double rainbow. The beautiful rainbows we have seen have given Larry and I the opportunity to remind the children about God's covenant with us all. It was He that gave us the rainbow as a sign that He will never again flood the whole earth. What a beautiful reminder!

May I also take this opportunity to address my great sorrow when I think that the homosexuals have taken the rainbow and used it as a symbol of their perversity and sin. "They will call evil good and good evil." How true it is. May the Christians take back the glorious rainbow as a symbol of God's goodness and mercy to us!!

Huck Finn Day '08 (June 7th)

2008-09-10T09:14:00.002-06:00

Finally up and running and here are the Huck Finn Day pictures for 2008. Our children have been going to Huck Finn day for the past 4? years, maybe 5. Each year we scour the closets for appropriate looking clothing (see Nicholas, bottom left of first picture), then the boys roll in the dirt to make themselves look like, well, dirty boys. We like to claim that we have won the Huck Finn lookalike contest for all of the years that we have entered, but one year we were beat out. On this particular year, Nicholas did win. Brian also won the largest fish contest. All in all, the kids had a blast.
Below is a picture of Maria and Joseph trying to fish.
Below are some of the kids trying to fish. Brian on the left, Thomas standing with his hand on his hip, somebody elses kid standing, and Ellie sitting on the ground in the white sweatshirt.
Maria running across the stream on a "bridge". There is a very nice bridge that crosses the stream on one end, but on this end there is only this pipe.
And here below we have Brian. Doesn't he look enthralled? He is such a constant, level headed young man and often in times of quiet he sits pondering all sorts of things. All of those facts rattling around in his head are probably bouncing back and forth right about now. He sure snapped into action when he caught that fish!

Our long hiatus.

2008-08-06T09:48:00.002-06:00

There is an explanation for why I haven't updated the blog in quite a while. For starters, our computer crashed. Now when I say crashed, I don't mean shut off, took us a while to restore and then we were able to restart it. I mean CRASHED! After a desperate plea for help, a friend graciously spent hours in the depths of our computer pulling all of our pictures and documents off the hard drive. The computer wouldn't start and he still managed to get the pictures for us. We are so very grateful for our crafty and computer wise friend. Thank you, Jeremiah! Needless to say, he tried everything to get it working again and finally we resigned ourselves to not having that computer working ever again.

Without a computer, it is rather difficult to update a blog. Also, the library computer is only available for an hour at a time which makes checking email, shopping and updating the blog not possible all in the same visit. Oh the excuses flow so easy, don't they? Our new computer is on order and will be here within the next few weeks. I have so many pictures ready for uploading. You will have to take a few minutes to check back and get updated on our summer.

For a quick recap of some of our summer activities:
Nicholas is in soccer
family camping trip
lots of outdoor fun with the trampoline and water
very very tan children
grasshoppers everywhere (not really an activity, but it does provide the children with something to play with)

Please check back in a couple of weeks for some summer pictures.

One of those silly days.

2008-05-28T08:08:00.005-06:00

The children were particularly giddy this day and requested that pictures be taken of their antics. Of course, the girls were just being cute, but the boys...well...you decide for yourself.

Ruth & Sabrina
Thomas & Adam (6 months old and 7 teeth)
Sabrina & Joseph
Matthew & Joseph
Matthew & Joseph again. Can you figure out what they are doing?
Ruth wanted a closeup.
Sabrina wanted a closeup, too.

Wow. Have you figured out yet what they are doing?
Joseph and Ruth. I absolutely love this picture.
Matthew & Sabrina. I love this one, too!! Anytime a picture represents children in their natural state, I love them. What a blessing to be able to capture these days with pictures. Thanks for looking.

The zoo aftermath.

2008-05-14T09:32:00.004-06:00

After the zoo closed, we regrouped. Actually the kids played in the grass, some of the adults rested, other adults had to walk another mile to get their cars and drive them back to where the kids were playing.

Left is Adam Pederson (5 months), right is Dathan Dade (4 months).
Seth. Iraq didn't tire him out but 17 kids did. Actually I think it was the soft grass and the shade that was the draw. (Dagon Dade looking on.)
Seth again. See? Perky not tired.
How can they have any energy left?
Mind boggling.

After the cars were packed up and the kids were packed up, we decided to grab some pizza together at a Pizza Hut located right up the street from the zoo. We did take up 1/3 of the restaurant! Eight pizzas later, we were all full and headed home. It ended up being a late night for everyone, but we all agreed it was worth it. Whew!

Finally at the zoo. (April 19th)

2008-05-14T09:17:00.004-06:00

I say finally at the zoo because we drove around for 30 minutes just looking for a spot to park. We had to stalk a couple just coming out of the zoo! After parking and eating lunch and walking to the entrance (which was no small feat considering the distance we were from it), we finally arrived. It was hot, and silly mother put sunscreen on everybody else but herself. I ended up with a nice sunburn. Here are a few pictures from our time at the zoo.

Nicholas in front of the elephants. The peacock feathers were given away due to an unfortunate encounter between a wolf and a peacock. The peacock lost.
Outside with the elephants.
Here would be the entire Dade/Pederson/Huntington group. I won't even begin to name everyone, especially since they are not lined up in nice symmetrical rows. There were 6 adults and 17 children ranging in age from 4 months up to 15 years old. It was a blast! We had strollers and kids everywhere. Not one child was ever misplaced! The kids would be in one stroller, then they would change to another. The little ones would hold hands with someone older, whether from their own family or not. It amazes me how all of the children get along with each other. When we are all together it feels seamless, like one big family, rather than OUR family and YOUR family. It's all one to me. What a blessing to have Seth with us and the Dades with us.
I can't tell which of these bad pictures is better. I am sure my finger was blurring something.

Fun on the way to Denver. (April 19th)

2008-05-14T09:05:00.003-06:00

Nicholas wanted to go to the Denver Zoo with the Dade family for his birthday so off we went! It was a beautiful Saturday morning when we left Hayden. We stopped in Silverthorne to meet up with the Dades, and while we waited we took a stroll by the little river. There were shores full of skipping rocks and the kids enjoyed stretching their legs a bit after the 2 hour drive. Here are a few pictures from our little stop.

Darling Ruth.
Sabrina and Ruth.
Matthew having ventured out onto a rock.
Of course, Joseph had to follow suit and climb onto a rock.
The whole clan. In the back (l-r): Larry, Ellie with Adam, Thomas, Maria in the shadows, Seth with Ruth, and Brian.

in the front (l-r): Sabrina, Matthew, Joseph, and Nicholas.

Matthew's 8th Birthday. (April 12th)

2008-05-14T08:52:00.002-06:00

Happy 8th Birthday Matthew! We had a nice quiet birthday celebration with his favorite breakfast in the morning, and the dinner of his choice. Then we proceeded to open gifts and eat some cake and ice cream.

Ahh. This gift would be the familiar whoopee cushion. What 8-year old would be complete without a whoopee cushion? This particular gift lasted a record 5 minutes before being destroyed. Never fill them too full would be the moral of this little tale.
The flaming frisbee.Nicholas, dear sweet Nicholas, always ends up near the fire. He volunteers to light the candles, thus fueling his desire to start the fire, carry the fire and look at the fire. He is always very safe and we appreciate his willingness to help.

Video of the biography tea.

2008-04-11T10:59:00.003-06:00

If you follow this link www.steamboatpilot.com/news/ you will see a video of our biography tea. Just scroll to the video section and click on the homeschool biography tea link. It is adorable! You can also read the article that was in the paper. The article incorrectly identified the winner of the contest as Nicholas, age 9, who came as George Washington. It was Joseph, age 6 who came as George Washington. Nicholas was Stonewall Jackson. Anyway. You are sure to enjoy the video and the article but quick now. I am not sure how long the newspaper will keep this link on their site.

Homeschool Biography Day.

2008-04-10T17:46:00.006-06:00

What a fabulous idea this was! It was actually the brain child of a young homeschooled boy, and his mother organized this day with the local library. The idea was this. Each homeschooled child that wanted to participate would read a biography and come (in character if desired) and share what they learned. We have been working on costumes and biography reports for a week and a half now and I know that our children had a blast! I discovered that I can sew and that I am creative and that my mother has a wealth of knowledge on things I sort of new of, but it blew my mind all of the technical terms she knew for everything! Thanks, Mom!!

The library brought in a judge to judge the costumes and another boy that came as Abraham Lincoln got third prize, our Jane Austen received second prize and our George Washington took the top prize for costume! What a delight it was for them to get all dressed up and give a report in front of everyone. They all agreed that it was fun and not terrifying. I am amazed at how cool they all looked, as opposed to me at their age who would have been shaking in my boots. Here are the pictures taken at the house minutes before departure.

Ellie as Jane Austen.
Thank you, Mom, for the beautiful dress. It turned heads. Thank you also to Natalie Chaney who did the fabulous up-do for the event. We couldn't have done it without you!

Thank you also to Mimi for her valuable information, gathered at the Jane Austen museum in Bath, England. What a treasure!
Thomas as William Wallace.

Thank you to Evan for letting him borrow the authentic replica sword.

Brian as Flemish pirate John Crabbe.
Thank you to Courtney for all of your help in locating information on this obscure naval engineer/pirate. Thank you to the Dade family for the head gear and for Marlene and Charlotte (bless their hearts) for delivering it to us from an hour away! You have all truly blessed us with your willingness to help in our time of need.

Maria as Laura Ingalls Wilder.
It was very informative to hear about Laura's life as she got older. I only recall information from the TV series, which is quite different from the book. Maria did a fabulous job of reporting the factual information pertaining to her life.

Nicholas as Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson.
Thanks to Mom for the hat (what was the technical name for it, again?)and to Travis for the leather gloves. Nicholas made his own beard which took quite some time. He has decided to reengineer the elastic around the ears for it was quite painful. He is one smart kid! He also learned how to use the hot glue gun during this project. Watch out world!

Matthew as author G. A. Henty.

Matthew loves reading and has begun to read the Henty novels. What a great choice! The beard that we made for G. A. Henty was much wider than the previous beard. He did a great job in reading his report through all of that hair. Great job, Matthew.

Joseph as George Washington.

Joseph and I read 20 pages of material on George Washington and when it was time to give his report, I wasn't sure which facts would make it into the report. It was very informative! The usual information such as General of the American Army, First President of the United States didn't make it. He did talk about how he surveyed Lord Fairfax's 100 miles of property, which Joseph referred to as "his yard". It was a great report. Thanks Mom for ideas on the ruffles!

Sabrina as Hadassah (who became Queen Esther).
We came up with this outfit this morning as she kept changing her mind about her character. I think it ended up being Hadassah because Sabrina likes saying that name. She does it with flare elongating the last syllable (Ha dass aaaaaaaaaaaaah). What a drama queen!

Ruth as Queen Elizabeth, queen of England.

As we only had a princess costume that was borrowed from her sister Sabrina, by default Ruth had to be a queen or princess. We decided that Queen Elizabeth, the queen of England would be great. She had to stand up on the table and tell everybody who she was. She was so patient and well mannered as she sat and listened to each child talk about their characters. Several people reported that she has queenly mannerisms. (I think they meant that she likes to be waited on.)

Adam as Joseph Montferrant.

Who? you may be asking yourself. Well, we had the little outfit which we have always called his lumberjack outfit, complete with the sheepskin lined lumberjack hat. It just worked for him to go dressed as a famous lumberjack. All that was left was to find one. So I asked Thomas to find one and he did. He googled "famous lumberjack" and came up with Joseph Montferrant. He lived in Canada in the 1800s. We had to have an outfit for the baby!
Group picture of all participants. It was great fun and we hope they do it again, just not anytime soon. Whew! Thank you again to all that helped donate items for the costumes.

The morning sounds at our house.

2008-03-26T07:22:00.002-06:00

As I sit here wondering what to write to all of you, (I like to imagine that my audience is VERY large) I am listening to the morning noises that are pretty typical for us. There is the clicky-clack of one of our two dryers, most likely from someone's overall buckles. One of our daughters is singing in the bathroom, the dog is barking in the garage, a timer is going off in the kitchen letting us all know that breakfast is but moments away. The fan and the shower are going in one of the bathrooms, our neighbor is outside moving some snow from his driveway and of course, the clicky-clack of the typewriter as I work. Above all of that noise, my 3rd daughter (Sabrina) can be heard talking to her sister. That tiny little girl has a HUGE voice. From the moment she learned to talk, she has been conversing with everyone that gets close to her, and some that aren't so close. She is tiny, but I pray that the Lord would use her mighty voice to accomplish great things.

On another note, my high school is having an all-school reunion in honor of its 30 years in existence. This has caused me to wonder what everyone has been up to since graduation. It has now been 17 years for me and I still keep in touch with some of the people I graduated with. Memories of high school came flooding back and as I shared some with my children, all they could do was laugh in horror/amazement. I even dug out my yearbooks to really reminisce about the "good ol' days". The general consensus among the children was "Mom, you look weird." Oh well. It was the nineties. I think we all looked weird. I have been pondering returning to Bismarck for this reunion. It would be enlightening to see everyone again and I am sure great fun would be had by all. If there are any old classmates out there in cyber-space, let me know if you plan on going.

A few pics of the boys.

2008-03-22T14:56:00.002-06:00

Little Adam is now four months old! His brother, Nicholas, wanted to take this picture with a very oversized cowboy hat on him. I think the hat fits his cheeks, though. Don't you? He looks a bit like a squirrel storing nuts in his cheeks. As his mother, I can say that they are incredibly kissable. If you live far away and haven't had the privilege of kissing his cheeks, you are truly missing out.
I mean really. Have you seen bigger cheeks? He is so smiley and he puts up with all of the kissing and rubbing that we can dish out. Ruth loves to put her hands on both sides of his face and kiss him until she is good and done. What a sweet little guy.
Here are the next 3 youngest boys, Matthew, Joseph and Nicholas. Strange to think that when we moved here to Colorado, Nicholas was 3, Matthew was 1 and Joseph was but a thought in the mind of God. Now they are 9, 7 and 6. It is fun to watch them throw the ball, kick the ball, ride their bikes up and down the street, take the dog for a walk, make human pyramids, etc. I am thankful that they have each other as companions, friends and confidantes.
Joseph lost his first tooth and is wiggling a few others. The first space has almost been filled with a new tooth. Sabrina thinks that her teeth are loose now, too, but as she is only 4 years old, it doesn't seem likely. I think rather that she is in a hurry to be a big kid.

Do you ever have one of those days?

2008-03-21T18:22:00.001-06:00

The title says it all. Comment if you want.
Lord Bless,
~Amy

Potty training update...

2008-03-19T10:12:00.002-06:00

Well, day one of our "let her run naked" experiment proved to be what everyone said it would be...spent cleaning up little potty accidents. Five to be exact. Day two we only cleaned up two. We are now on day three and are looking forward to perhaps none?

I need some advice from anyone of you willing to give it. What do you do at night for those children who NEED to go to bed with some water? It makes the little one want to tinkle in the middle of the night, but she has always needed water at night. *sigh* Do we have to train her to get up in the night to go? I don't recall having this exact problem with any other children, not to say that we didn't, just that I don't remember. Thanks for any words of wisdom.

Long time no post.

2008-03-17T09:07:00.002-06:00

I have realized that I may never be a consistent blogger. As desperate as I may try, I seem to find that weeks go by with no new posts. Case in point, it has been 17 days since I last posted! It doesn't seem that long to me, but it has been that long. Sheesh.

As a quick recap of everything we have done in the past two weeks, I can say the words "clean & organize". We are still going through the remaining boxes of "stuff" we have accumulated. We are almost done organizing the boxes that have been brought over to the new house. Vanity of vanity, says the writer of Ecclesiastes. Cleaning and organizing truly is a vanity. By that I mean that we never really come to the end of it. Does anyone ever truly finish their laundry? finish the vacuuming and dusting? finishing washing the dishes? I don't think I will ever come to the end of organizing this house, even if we do finish sorting through boxes. With each trip to the store there are new things to put away and make room for. God has so richly blessed us that we have to organize all that we have. What a glorious thought! Imagine those people that have two or three things, rather than a house full. (Sometimes I think that would make my life easier.) Thank you Lord for the material things that You have blessed us so richly with. May we use all that You have given us for Your glory and may we seek to humbly serve You with all of the blessings You bestow upon us.

On a separate note, we are trying a new method for potty training. We are letting our two year old run buck-naked through the house! (I must say that there is mild anxiety on the part of my husband who just built this gorgeous new house, mostly because of the brand new carpet!) I have heard good things from every person that has tried this before. They say it is the quickest way to get the potty training done. With our PT already in week 2, I am ready for it to be done. I will post our success or failure using this method when such a thing can be determined.

Hidden Jewels

2008-02-29T07:30:00.002-07:00

Malachi 3:17, "And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels."

Every saint is a jewel of God. I am convicted by God to look at people (and also my children) in this light. Often we cannot see the jewel as it hides behind the rough exterior. All we see is unsightly hard rock, but God wants us to look beyond what we see on the surface.

We sometimes hear the phrase, "He's a rough diamond." This means that the person is pretty rough on the outside but inside they have a heart of gold. We need to be reminded that there is a diamond, or perhaps a sapphire, an emerald, an opal, a ruby or an amethyst in each person. The jewel in every person is different. Each jewel will reveal different colors and lights of God's character. But we cannot see the beauty shining from the jewel until it has been cut and polished. And what a painful process this is. Much cutting has to be done o reveal the many-faceted hues and beauty of the gem. The cutting goes on and on. And when it is finished, the polishing starts. It hurts

I know God has to do so much more cutting and polishing with me. May we let Him do His work and cut away all the roughness and hardness. May we also have patience with all God's saints, even those who are still rough and uncut.

May God give us patience with our children. God has given us the task of being a lapidary (a cutter and polisher of gems). It is the lapidary's art to reveal the gem. Sometimes we may feel it is a hopeless job. But we must never give up hope. There is a jewel in every child of God. There is a precious jewel in every one of our children that waits to be revealed. We must see it by faith. We must pray it into being. May God give us vision, patience and understanding as we fulfill this great task. It does not happen over night. It is painstaking and time-consuming.

The above paragraphs were taken from an Above Rubies digest written by Nancy Campbell. What a blessing to me this morning! It helped me see the disciplining and discipling of my children in a new light. When children are young they need a lot of their sinful attitudes and selfish behaviors "cut away". When they are a bit older, they need their parents to "polish" them. What a glorious way to look at our commands in Scripture to raise up our children! To be lapidaries to them! Lord, thank you for blessing me with these words this morning. May I always look at Your children that You have entrusted to me as jewels. Help me to cut and polish them so they are ready for Your service.

Adam Eliot, February 26, 2008

2008-02-26T11:17:00.003-07:00

Most of our babies have been bald, and Adam is no exception. He has a beautiful cue ball head. He is pictured here with Thomas, our oldest son who is 15 years old. They are great friends. Adam weighs about 14# 9 1/2 ozs. give or take an ounce.

We have been going through the garage at the other house and yesterday we looked at miscellaneous pictures. I was amazed at how similar my kids look! I can see it with some of the kids, but not with all of them, until I look at older pictures of my kids. Wow!

Gorgeous beams!

2008-02-26T11:11:00.002-07:00

Larry worked on this beam work for about a month, give or take a week, in January. I am sure he could tell you the technicalities of the job, but for now you will all have to settle for just looking at the beautiful pictures.

I find this work extremely beautiful and I appreciate it so much more knowing just how long it takes and how labor intensive it is. Many nights my very fit husband came home with aches from having lifted so many heavy beams that day.

Joseph's 6th Birthday on Jan 22, 2008

2008-02-26T10:58:00.003-07:00

I can't believe I am posting these pictures over a month late. I am embarrassed that I am such a procrastinator. Regardless, here are the pics from Joseph's 6th Birthday.

The look of delight stems from the gift being the movie Happy Feet. Joseph adores penguins.
A new deck of playing cards brings immense joy to the life of a 6 year old.
The fire bearer is our son, Nicholas, our very own pyro-"maniac". He is a responsible fire-lover and is your man if you ever need a candle lit. I believe his love of fire is genetic and comes from his father. There are many stories that could be told.
"Thank you Lord for this cupcake and sugar that I am about to receive."

Take a look at these cuties!

2008-02-26T10:50:00.003-07:00

Here is a picture of 3 of the cutest kids you can imagine. One is our little Ruth, pictured on the left. On the right is the adorable "Nettie" Dade (her curls are spectacular) and in the middle, the object of their affections is the 12 day old Dathan Dade. Both of these girls love and adore babies as attested to by their constant demands to kiss and hold babies.

Good thing big sister Rachel Dade was nearby to make sure they didn't drop the baby. It wasn't long before Ruth thought her piggy tails needed mentioning in the picture and neglected the holding of her half of the baby.

What a treasure to grow up with families that are such kindred spirits to your own. Thank you, Lord, for blessing us with the Dade family and their fellowship. Continue to bless and prosper them and guide them as they raise their children according to the Scriptures.

Christmas Eve pictures of Adam.

2008-02-26T10:45:00.002-07:00

Here is our wide eyed little one at 6 weeks old. You can't tell, but there are reindeer on his little sweater and on his little hat. And the corduroys have suspenders!!

He is so cute and photogenic if only you could capture that BEFORE the flash.
Enough already, he says.

A few more house pictures.

2008-02-26T10:32:00.003-07:00

I found a few more pictures on my camera that we had taken before we moved in. This particular picture shows the trim work over the door (which I love!).
This picture (which is duplicated below because of computer user error) is just a close up of our fabulous door knobs. I love the way they look, the way they feel and I am so thankful that my husband ordered these. He has such good taste.

Good morning.

2008-02-26T10:02:00.002-07:00

It is a wonderful morning when one can rise to the sound of children giggling, their little feet pitter pattering about the house. Older children seen in the kitchen with little ones laughing and singing and cooking breakfast together. Everyone clean and shiny and happy.

*wake up*

Someone hollering down the hall for Mom because their fort has been torn down by a sneaky older brother. The sound of the always on dryer clinking and clanking as the clothes tumble dry yet another load. The smoke alarm beeping as the pancakes that were supposed to be for breakfast are becoming charred as they sit on the griddle a bit too long. The dog yelping for attention and his morning potty run. The baby just stirring in the cradle and before you can rise to attend to everything, lets out a cry telling you that it has been 8 hours since his last meal. That is more like it! As much as I would love to believe in the existence of the first fairy tale, it is not my life. My glorious life is filled with normal, everyday noises that remind me that we are all human, sinful and part of a large family. Yes, our dryers run almost non stop. But what a blessing that we are able to dry our clothes rather than leave them outside to freeze. Yes, the smoke alarm does occassionally go off (usually because of some food left inside the oven and not cleaned up before the next pre-heating), but isn't that a sign of our being provided for that we have food to cook? And that I can clean one while cooking in the other oven? All of our noises are ours, and I hope that when my children grow, they will fondly remember the noises they grew up with. I love the fairy tales and Bible stories read endlessly, along with the little kiddie songs and clapping games. How many times in one day have you sung pat-a-cake? How many times have you read Green Eggs and Ham or the story of David and Goliath?

Up and running again.

2008-02-06T21:13:00.000-07:00

For all those of you who have patiently waited for me to post something, ANYTHING, for the past month, I thank you. (I know there is at least one!) There are several reasons why nothing has been posted, but alas, excuses do not make for exciting reading. So please, accept me for who I am, even if that be a bit scatterbrained at times and enjoy reading when I DO post :)

I have commented to several people that burning the house down almost seems like a reasonable solution to my dilemma. The problem is that there are many things left at the old house that we still haven't moved over here. They are things I can't throw away, yet don't want to bring here. They are in moving purgatory one could say. Rather than being forced to deal with these things and actually have to decide where they go, I think burning the house down would solve the problem. I would have no guilt over getting rid of them, and I don't have excess things clogging up my new house. The disclaimed needs to be inserted here. Disclaimer reads: I do not actually plan to burn the house down. It is spoken of tongue in cheek and merely a random thought that runs through my often clogged brain.

My newest little darling is crying for me so here I must stop. I have many pictures to add so check back for more posts.

May the Lord richly bless you this day.

Pictures of the new house.

2008-01-09T22:09:00.000-07:00

View of the master bedroom: closet doors on the left, door out of the room in the middle, and linen closet door on the right.
Picture of half my kitchen.
Picture from the upstairs hallway looking down the stairwell at the front door.

Pictures of the new house.

2008-01-09T21:55:00.000-07:00

Exterior shot of the house.
Looking out the dining room bay window, with sliding patio door on your right.

After the move...

2008-01-09T13:18:00.000-07:00

Well, we are mostly moved in. That would mean that the main things are over at the new house such as the beds, clothes, kitchens and bathrooms. The offices are still set up at the old house and even the phone has not been transferred. Also at the old house are the toys and games and the entire garage. I enjoy living in my new house without all of the extra things that aren't needed day to day. I know at some point I will need those things, but not having them around right now is quite helpful.

Thank you to everyone who left ideas on packing and moving. They were all helpful and we implemented them immediately.

Back to the old house cleaning for me. We are trying to get it emptied out by the end of the week so we can begin making the improvements that we would like to before we sell (That and clean it! I am amazed at how much dust collects under the washers and dryers!).

General musings.

2007-12-27T11:52:00.000-07:00

As I was reading a fellow blogger's blog, I decided to copy a bit of what she said. (Thank you, Aimee.) I find myself a very visual person, and so I like to add pictures to the blog with a little writing. I don't write a lot about what we are doing, other than to add a caption or story to a picture. I will have to give this journaling a whirl and see what sort of feedback I get from my faithful viewers. That means that you faithful viewers will have to leave feedback for me! And so begins my journaling about what goes on here at our house.

Today we are packing closets. Are you familiar with the child who likes to "stash"? I have one. When we tackle a job like emptying out a closet, or cleaning out under the beds, we inevitably discover this child's stashes. They are usually a collection of small items that get lumped together and "put away" quickly so that the cleaning is done and fun may be had. I am thankful that there is rarely food involved. I shudder at the thought.

My goal for the day is to have all of the clothes closets moved over and arranged at the new home, as well as the linen closet, toy closet and front hall closet, and the boxes of off season clothing put away in my new storage closet. It is a hefty goal considering that it is noon here and nothing has been moved yet. The girls have their closet ready, the two boys' closets are not ready. It will be close!

If any of you viewers have any moving tips, please post them for me. I would love to get input and any helpful tips that may make the next week run smoothly.

Praise the Lord!

2007-12-27T11:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, December 26, 2007, the entire Larry A. Pederson family spent an hour or so at the new home (304 Lilac Ct). We prayed for all those who would enter the home to be blessed, we prayed for those dwelling in the home to be blessed, and we prayed that we would be faithful stewards of the beautiful new home that God has given to us. "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" was read to all of us. It was the first time that I can remember all of us gathering at one time to pray for our new home. We have moved 17, soon to be 18 times in the past 15 years and I know that individually we have prayed for a move and a new home, but this was different.

For all of you who have patiently kept up with horrible pictures, waiting to see the completed house, your wait will soon come to an end. We had some professional shots taken at the house on Saturday, and they will soon be posted here for you all to see. We are moving in, even today, after a long summer and fall. The home is far more beautiful than I could ever have imagined. It will be a brand new start for us this year, as we will be in a brand new home with a brand new baby. God is so good! Praise Him for His unending love and generosity to us!!

Follow this link.

2007-12-20T11:27:00.000-07:00

If you would like to watch a humorous little clip about homeschooling, click below. It made me laugh out loud.

www.doublesharpevideo.com/HomeSchool2/Homeschool2.html

Still updating you on the house.

2007-12-10T20:22:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more pictures of the house, all taken upstairs.
This is a picture of the master bath. You can see the "throne room" to the right. To the immediate left and right (out of view) are the his and her bathroom sinks and mirrors.
Sorry about the blinding light. This is a view of the girls' bathroom mirror and lights. They are not that yellow in real life. I wasn't able to get the sinks and countertop in the picture, but they are beautiful.
I was standing in the girls' bedroom looking out into the hallway when I took this picture. The doorway to the left accesses their bathroom.
This was taken in the master bedroom. Again, sorry about it being so dark. The door on the left is a linen closet. The arched doorway on the left is the bathroom. There is a deck off the master which will be photographed later. Directly behind me is the walk in closet.

As you can see, most of the house is finished. The carpet will be in on Friday. Next week the windows will be cleaned and the final post construction clean will be done. We are having a huge open house on December 22, 2007. After Christmas, we will begin moving in. Sometime between now and then I hope to photograph the entire house (in better light) and get the pictures of the completely finished house posted. Thanks for taking the time to check the progress on this monumental task. It has been quite fun to see it all coming together. And by the way, anytime you all are in the area, look us up. We love company!

House update, as of Dec 8, 2007

2007-12-10T20:15:00.001-07:00

I am not quite sure why the pictures appear so dark. They don't look this dark on my camera. Enjoy them anyway?
Picture of the living room.
Picture of the left half of the kitchen. The only thing left is for the tile man to set the backsplash, then for the electrician to follow him and put in the under cabinet lighting.
Picture of the dining room and bay window.
Another picture looking straight up the middle of the kitchen. In the foreground is the prep sink that will be used for getting veggies and things ready. The larger, kitchen sink is in the background under the window.
This is the view from the top of the stairs looking down toward the front door/entry area. Notice the slate tile and the natural pecan hardwood. I love the colors of both!

Grandpa & Grandma Peet's visit. Dec 7, 2007

2007-12-10T19:58:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of my new grandma, Betty Jo. She married my dearest grandpa in June of this past year. On their way through the southwestern part of the United States, they stopped in to see us for a day and a half. They were able to meet their newest great-grandchild.

My grandpa, Roger, on the left with Betty Jo and Adam.
I must say that in all my life I have never seen my grandpa with a beard, just a mustache. It was new for me and new for him as well! It was the first time in his life that he grew a beard. After travelling through the country for a month, I wonder if he will shave it off when he gets home tonight. What a beautiful picture of a great-grandpa with his great-grandson. I wonder what they were both thinking.
Grandpa and Grandma with Adam and Ruth. Thomas is in the background.

Two more birthday pictures.

2007-12-10T19:47:00.000-07:00

Could she be any cuter?

I think they speak for themselves. Love her enthusiasm.

Ruth turns 2! November 28, 2007

2007-12-10T19:27:00.001-07:00

The birthday girl enjoying her balloons. We had a nice, quiet (well, mostly quiet) birthday. After the balloon antics, she began opening her presents.

She tore off small pieces of paper and had to make sure that each piece was put in the trash before unwrapping anymore. I can only hope that her tidiness will last into adulthood.
Bizarre hairdo indeed. This lovely ribbon came from a stuffed animal and she insisted on wearing it. I think it makes her even cuter!
She was excited to blow out her candle. Nicholas was excited to play with matches.

can't get enough of the sleeping baby

2007-12-10T19:19:00.000-07:00

Here Larry is trying to read to Ruth while holding the sleeping baby, Adam.

Ruth is reading her book to Dad.
Now they are both sleeping.
I love when the babies fall asleep on Dad's broad chest. What a dear picture.

Adam Eliot Pederson's baptism, November 25, 2007

2007-11-27T10:59:00.000-07:00

Adam Eliot was baptized on Sunday, November 25, 2007 at Christ Reformed Church in Meeker, CO, pastor Rogers Meredith and elder Craig Thiesen conducting the ceremony. Friends of ours, the Nick Chaney family, had their son, Weston, baptized on the same day. The faithfulness of God is always before us as we baptize a child. Thanks be to God for His never ending faithfulness to His covenant and to His covenant children.
back row (l-r): Thomas-15, Brian-13, Larry (holding Ruth-2), Amy (holding Adam-2 weeks), Maria-11 and Ellie-15.
from row (l-r): Joseph-5, Sabrina-4, Matthew-7 and Nicholas-9.

Thanksgiving at the Pederson's home.

2007-11-27T10:51:00.000-07:00

We had a restful Thanksgiving with Seth and Joe Cernik joining us. Seth brought the greatest egg nog ever! It truly made this Thanksgiving extraordinary.
Nicholas and Ruth enjoying a little puzzle time in the morning.
Seth and Ellie working on the potatoes.
After the meal, we all gathered in the living room to read to each other our favorite Scripture verses, or verses in the Bible that talked about being thankful. Even the little ones had Bible stories to share with us. We also drank more wine and egg nog and soaked up the fellowship.
More pictures of the children with their verses ready.
Seth reading while enjoying a nice back rub from Maria.

Adam, 11 days old

2007-11-27T10:47:00.001-07:00

I was trying to capture Adam with his eyes open. I am not the greatest camera engineer, so forgive the awful lighting. I am sure most of you would know which setting to choose, but I am just an amateur. Enjoy the pictures anyway!

Yes, Ruthie wanting to hold Adam again.
The adorable Sabrina with her baby brother, Adam, again.

The twins are 15!! Happy Birthday Ellie and Thomas.

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Hard to believe that these children of my youth are now 15 years old. When I tell people that, they inevitably say, "They're going to be driving soon!" I remember the days of learning how to drive. As the oldest of our 10 children, they have been given a great deal of responsibility and continually rise to the occasion. They both have servants hearts and look for ways in which to serve their parents and their siblings. They are a joy to their mother and I pray that the Lord would continue to prepare them for the future work He has in store for them. My prayer is that their current family would be a blessing to them and a source of encouragement. May the truth of the Lord and His love for you be planted in your hearts. May you love Him and serve Him all your days.

Adam, ten days old

2007-11-27T10:33:00.000-07:00

He is starting to look like such a little man.
I think these overalls on a little baby are rather bulky, but they sure are cute.
Making noises and faces for you all to enjoy.
This picture was accompanied by lots of baby grunts. They are so precious and are some of my all time favorite sounds.
Adorable. Enough said.

Adam, eight days old

2007-11-27T10:26:00.000-07:00

The girls absolutely adore their little brother and have been asking every day to hold him.
Here is our little lumberjack with older sister, Sabrina.
Little Ruthie wanting to kiss brother's cheek. Adam is just so bendy that he kept sliding and slumping over. Eventually she was able to plant a kiss.
Here she is making her move.
Successful! What a treasure these kids are.

Welcome little Adam Eliot Pederson!

2007-11-15T14:06:00.000-07:00

Join us in welcoming our newest little gift and blessing from the Lord!
Adam Eliot Pederson was born Sunday, November 11, 2007 at 12:44 in the afternoon. He was 9lbs. 1oz. and 21 1/2" long. His chubby little head was 14 3/8" around. Mom and baby are both doing great and the siblings are eager to hold him as much as they can. Please keep us all in your prayers as we adjust and try to get some sleep.

Musings from a very pregnant woman...

2007-10-30T16:13:00.000-06:00

First of all, it is against my nature to blog with no picture and seeminly no purpose. Although, perhaps there is someone out there interested in what I have to say this afternoon. So I will do what is not natural for me and blog away some of my thoughts of the past few days and nights.

I am "due" with baby #10 in 18 days, November 17, that is 2 weeks and 4 days. I normally run a little over my "due" date, so I don't anticipate delivering around then, but rather sometime around Thanksgiving. With the due date so close, the normal things are occuring. I am having difficulty in sleeping, as I am up several times a night. Even when I am tired, I am not able to sleep. Last night I watched the last half of Gods and Generals until 5:15 am and then I was able to catch a few hours of sleep. I try to nap during the day, but after 1 hour of laying in bed, I give up. I do believe that even laying down is doing me some good so I continue to do so, even if I don't sleep.

Not only do I have the pregnant waddle, I have the pregnant SLOOOOOOOW waddle. There are a few days here and there where my walking speed is almost normal, but mostly I walk very slowly and I waddle at that. I am sure you ladies out there can relate to not being able to get out of your chair during the last few weeks? I have taken to knitting in my chair and crocheting in my chair, both of which are fine activities for keeping your hands busy and your mind preoccupied.

I have been finishing up a few projects here and there. Two beautiful quilts were sent to two adorable twin girls for their second birthday, link to my friend Aimee's blog and you will see pictures. I have also finished a wall hanging for our entry that just needs the binding hand stitched down, another great chair project that will take me about 4 hours. Just today I sewed up a duvet cover for Sabrina's toddler bed. I made it out of a beautiful white king sized sheet with crocheting on the end. The sewing was easy, except for the button holes. Apparently I wasn't following the instructions! After 45 minutes and much frustration, I figured out the problem and finished that project. It is beautiful. For someone who doesn't sew, I guess I sew quite a bit. The last sewing project I have is a set of curtains for the girls' room. I sewed one pair a few years ago, and another pair is needed for their new room, which has two windows. Luckily I have enough fabric to make another pair. So, once that project is finished, my sewing area will be dismantled to make room for the baby cradle. That puts a time constraint on my sewing, but I work much better with a deadline, especially one that is so ever present and on my mind.

Yes, back to my mind. It is always surprising to me just how absurd my thoughts get when I am 8 1/2 months pregnant. What I would normally laugh off as odd thoughts or unreasonable fears, seem to be given credence in these last few weeks. Many nights I sing Psalms to the Lord and to myself to try to get my mind back to "normal". I often sit awake reading Scriptures full of promises of peace and of being cared for by the Lord. It is often just a few minutes after such readings, that the fears and doubts begin to creep back into my thoughts. What a vulnerable time it is for a pregnant woman. I am thankful that it only lasts a short while and that afterwards, there is such a beautiful reward to kiss and hold. I do look forward to that day.

I began to journal with my last pregnancy, and have started up again within the last week. It is refreshing to read what I wrote with my last pregnancy. It is also comforting to see how the Lord worked out all of the details with the last delivery and the days leading up to. It is such a trial of faith for me to be patient, and reading my thoughts has helped me to rest and be still and wait on the Lord.

We will keep you all posted as to the arrival of this little bundle. What a glorious day that will be!

House progress as of October 24, 2007.

2007-10-25T08:47:00.000-06:00

These are pictures as of October 18, with more work having been completed in these rooms since then. First of all, all of the tile is done, including the tub surrounds, which this picture shows as incomplete. Second of all, every door, every window and all of the base trim is finished upstairs, which this picture shows as incomplete. Oh, if only I could keep up with the progress! It seems to be moving along so quickly now.
This picture (above) is of the girls' bathroom.
One of the upstairs doors installed, not yet trimmed. (But as of now they ARE trimmed.)
The tile guy having finished the tile surround in the boys' bathroom (same color scheme as the girls' bathroom).
The master bath tub surround, a bit different color scheme than the other two bathrooms. There is that cute carpenter again. So thankful I married him.
Here is a picture of the boys' room (left) and girls' room (right) with all of the trim finished. It is absolutely gorgeous trim. Again, so thankful I married a man with such good taste. He picked out all of the trim and colors. *side note*--none of the wood is yet stained. That will be done when the painter extraordinaire comes back and finishes all of the walls and the trim. Perhaps another week or so until then.

Happy Birthday Anna and Emma!

2007-10-25T08:37:00.000-06:00

I know that your 2nd birthday is tomorrow, October 26, but I wanted to make sure and post before rather than after. So, here is a birthday greeting from all of us, to you! Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday Anna & Emma, Happy Birthday to you!!!
Here Ruthie sits atop one of the much alluded to quilts. What joy it brought to make something here, that you will be using there. It makes me feel like we don't live quite so far apart. May the Lord bless you both and bless your parents as they train you in the Lord. May the Lord also bless your brothers and sisters as they grow up with you and teach you the truths that they know. Blessings little girls on this, your second birthday!
~Auntie Amy

I have been tagged.

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Jobs I have had:

1. McDonalds (don't knock it until you've tried it)
2. Grocery store clerk in Medora, ND
3. Campground attendant/cashier/office manager in Medora, ND
4. Spotlight technician at a professional outdoor musical in Medora, ND
5. Back stage techy at the same musical in Medora, ND
6. Short stint as a telemarketer
7. Mary Kay consultant

Places I have lived:

1. Jamestown, ND
2. up in the boondocks of Canada, near Grande Prairie, Alberta
3. Bismarck, ND
4. Medora, ND (for 2 summers)
5. Fargo, ND
6. Steamboat Springs, CO
7. Hayden, CO

My favorite TV shows:
As we do not have cable, it is hard to say, other than a few favorites from childhood and a few favorites we have gotten hooked on via full season sets available on DVD.

1. Smallville
2. 24
3. TLC programming involving room redecorating
4. Wheel of Fortune
5. The Amazing Race (is it even on anymore?)
6. All time favorite would be the winter and summer olympics

Places I have been to:

1. San Francisco, CA and Alcatraz
2. Disneyland in CA when I was 11
3. Most of the continental United States, with the exception of the NE states and Arizona --missed that one somehow
4. I am sure there are several places that would seem interesting to you all that I am just forgetting to write down

Favorite foods:
(in no particular order)
1. Pot roast and veggies
2. Wild rice
3. Sesame tarragon chicken
4. lefse
5. really flavorful salads
6. Johnny B's Gyro (absolutely scrumptious!)
7. Double Z burger with fries and ranch dressing
8. Homemade taco pizza --patterned after Happy Joe's taco pizza

Books I have enjoyed recently:

1. Upgrade by Kevin Swanson
2. Mothering from the Heart by Marilyn Boyer
3. A Mother Just Like You by Vickie Farris
4. Children's Story Bible by Catherine Vos

Things I enjoy:

1. My littlest one, still in the womb, kicking and rolling around
2. finding a really good parking spot on a very busy day
3. pink lip gloss
4. Breyer's cookies and cream ice cream
5. Fingerprints on my windows
6. bouquets of flowers from my little munchkins
7. notes left on my bed for me by my little munchkins
8. pictures drawn by my little munchkins on my refrigerator
9. new pictures of family and friends sent at Christmas--or anytime of the year, really
10. talking with a good friend on the phone for hours

I tag my pastor, Rogers Meredith.

October 16, 2007 House update.

2007-10-18T09:04:00.000-06:00

First off, the sheetrock was done a long time ago. It seemed pointless to take a picture of just the sheetrock put up, because the tapers and mudders would be there and would be finished shortly. So, I put off taking pictures. When they finished a few days later, I went to take pictures and realized it was pointless again because the texturers would be done in a few days and THEN I would have something interesting to take a picture of. After they finished, it was hard to see anything because it was all white, so I decided to wait until after the painter came in to do the initial priming and painting. Well, needless to say that all happened in the past several weeks and now I have a few pictures to show you. They are not glorious, but should feed your curiosity. Now that things are moving at lightening speed, I will take pictures more regularly to keep you updated. As of today, 1/3 of the tile is down, the hardwood flooring is being put in, window trim is going up and upper cabinets in the kitchen are in. By the end of the week, the rest of the tile will be done, hardwood floors all in and all of the window trim done, as well as some of the base trim. So keep checking back. Progress is glorious!
Here we have kitchen cabinets.

I managed to snap a picture with the cutest cabinet installer in the picture. Of course, he is my husband.

The kittens, as promised, just a little late.

2007-10-18T08:45:00.000-06:00

We were the proud new witnesses to 4 little boy kittens. It has been enjoyable watching them frolic and play and wrestle around with one another. Here are the cute pictures.
Above we have Garfield on the left and Burt on the right. Both of these kittens are still with us, so if any of you need a kitty, please call!!
Hard to see with the cats entwined, but the all black kitten's name is Sammy and he is the kitten in the front. I am not able to distinguish the other kitten. The kitten on the far right is Burt, again.
On the left is Sammy (all black), then we have Garfield (striped), then on top of the heap is Speedy Gonzalez (black with white markings) and on the right is Burt (striped with white paws). Speedy Gonzalez was the first kitten to go, with Sammy following a close second. Again, if any of you desires a kitten, let us know! The other two are still available.
Here is a close up of "Speedy" as the kids called him. He was one of their favorites.

Sabrina turns four! September 21, 2007

2007-09-22T09:32:00.001-06:00

Here we have the delightful birthday girl helping with her pink cupcakes. They will later be frosted with scrumptious pink frosting and pink sprinkles. Of course you have to lick off the batter when you are done!
See the pink balloon in the foreground? Here is Sabrina opening a gift from one of her brothers.
Ruthie is just making sure that she has a good view and that Sabrina is doing it right.
Pom poms!! Ruthie has played with them more today than Sabrina has. What little girl doesn't like pom poms?
A noisy tamborine. That toy lasted about 5 minutes before we had them put it away. It is one of those toys that gets played with sparingly. It would be much better for them to play with it outside, far far outside.

more birthday pics...

2007-09-22T08:13:00.000-06:00

Pink haired doll with a pink dress. Are you sensing a theme here?
Sabrina with her new "dress jammies" as she calls them. My second complete sewing project.
She had to wear them to bed last night. They are so cozy! She told me this morning that she wants to wear them again tonight.
We were halfway through the song when she decided she had to blow out her candles. And yes, the cupcakes were pink, with pink frosting and pink sprinkles.
And pink candles. We served the cupcakes with pink bubble gum ice cream. Thank you to Nicholas, our budding pyro for generously offering to light the candles.

Ruthie.

2007-09-17T09:29:00.000-06:00

Ruthie kept handing me the camera, so I tried taking a picture of her so she could see herself on the screen. Each time the flash went off, she would giggle and turn her head. This was our first try.
Second try. (my personal favorite)
Third try. She loves seeing herself in the camera. And for the record, her eyes are still blue!!

A glorious Lord's Day celebration.

2007-09-17T09:18:00.000-06:00

We had a house full of people yesterday afternoon for a combined birthday party. There was a near monsoon happening outside, so although we were mostly confined to the interior of the house, a blessed time was had by all. I can't remember the last time there were so many little people in our house. What a treasure to see the faithfulness of God in the next generation. We ate, sang psalms, laughed, drank wine and celebrated birthdays. Thank you Lord, for the fellowship of the saints.
Here are the two birthday boys. On the left is Daskin Dade, recently turned 11 year old. On the right is our very own Brian, new teenager. The carrot cake was scrumptious!
Some of the men deep in discussion I am sure.
If you look closely you can spot a rainbow. The children were so excited to see it that they rushed outside to take a picture. By the time they got outside it was almost faded out completely. Thank you, Lord, for giving us this visible reminder of Your faithfulness to us.

Another teenager added to our household. September 12, 2007

2007-09-15T17:35:00.000-06:00

Brian David Pederson, the third of the children entrusted to us, turned 13 on Wednesday. It was a low key affair, as last year was his "golden" birthday with many glorious festivities. Also, we are having a combined birthday party this Lord's Day (I am sure there will be many pictures of that day, as well). So here are a few pictures taken on the actual birth-day.
Brian, now 13 with younger sister Sabrina, almost 4.
Nicholas, the could-be pyromaniac, having lit the birthday candles and presenting the cake to the birthday boy.
And of course, the blowing out the candles picture.

The house is now ready for drywall. September 12, 2007

2007-09-15T17:24:00.000-06:00

These are some rough photos of the interior of the house after insulation, before drywall. As you may notice, the drywall has been stocked inside the house. As of today (Saturday), half the drywall is completed. I will try my best to describe to you which room(s) you are looking at. I think I am far more excited by these pictures than any of you will be.
This is the view from the front door looking kitty-corner. The bright window on your right is actually the kitchen window that is over the sink. The railing in the foreground is for the stairway. The framed in room with no insulation is the walk in pantry right off the kitchen.
This is a view of the master bedroom/bathroom. The arched doorway leads to the master bath.
This archway leads from the west bedrooms to the east bedrooms. The doorway directly ahead of you is the boys' room. To the right of that doorway, would be the girls' room and bathroom (both are out of view). The railing is open to the staircase below.
This is a view of the school room/guest room (left doorway) and one of our many bathrooms (right doorway).
This is a view down the stairs looking at the front door. The previous two pictures and this picture were taken from the same place. One was looking east, one was looking west and this one is looking down. Perhaps that helps you get an idea of the layout of the house.

Hiking with Dad. August 11, 2007

2007-09-15T17:17:00.000-06:00

On a glorious Sunday afternoon, Dad took many of the children hiking up on Rabbit Ears Pass. The following pictures tell part of the story.
Here is the trusty lead dog, Liebe (pronounced LEE' buh--German for "love").
From left to right, Ellie, Joseph, Maria, Dad, Matthew, Brian and Nicholas. Thomas is taking the picture.
From left to right, Ellie, Brian, Maria, Dad, Joseph, Matthew and Nicholas.
This time Brian is the photographer and left to right this time, Ellie, Thomas, Maria, Dad, Joseph, Matthew and Nicholas.

Some of the glorious views from the rear of the pack.

Stucco is on!

2007-09-15T17:14:00.001-06:00

The stucco was actually done a very long time ago, it just took me over a month to get a picture of it. The bottom of the house (the non-stucco part) will have a rock face.

July 31, 2007 The house is ready for stucco.

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Here is a view from the front of the house. The black "tar" paper (I don't know the real name) is stapled up in preparation for the chicken wire and the stucco. In a few short days, the stucco will go up. Yeah!
Here in an east view of the garage. It is also a better picture of the corbels and starbursts on this side. The two small wood pieces on the outside of the garage opening are the backing for the exterior lights. Larry doesn't miss a detail.
Don't you love this entry? It looks so grand. I love the soffit that was chosen and also put on the underside of this entry. The door will receive a coat of stain before it is all finished.
This is the west side of the house. There is a bay window in the dining room and the window on the right is for the living room.
I took this interior picture because I am excited to have some electrical going in. Currently, the electrician has the outlets, switches and light boxes all installed, with most of the wire running to and from the different boxes. That just means we can't walk through the walls anymore.

A few crazy pictures from Grandma Lyla's house. July 18, 2007

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Must climb the flagpole! Nicholas up to his usual climbing.
What is a bonfire without the s'mores!? Here is Ruthie eating her first official s'more.
This picture was taken just AFTER Grandpa Jim got off the trike. It was quite a sight.

July 17, 2007 We celebrated Maria's birthday.

2007-08-06T12:13:00.001-06:00

Maria's actual birthday was the 16th of July, the same day as Grandpa Ed's funeral. So, we celebrated her birthday the very next day.

She patiently waits for us to sing her Happy Birthday song so she can blow out her candle.

(Notice the growing baby in the belly in the background.)

Grandpa Jim & the tractor rides. July 17, 2007.

2007-08-06T12:08:00.000-06:00

Rides on Grandpa's John Deere tractor are always a highlight. The smiles tell the whole story (and the fact that Grandpa looks like he is holding on for dear life in some of the pictures).
Matthew & Grandpa
Matthew & Grandpa
Joseph & Grandpa

Joseph & Grandpa

July 13, 2007 Family & friends gathering at the Huntington home.

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These were taken on Saturday, before the funeral on Monday, July 16. Most of the family was in town by Saturday, but a few members were still arriving. Most of the family we hadn't seen in 4 years or more. The Huntington home was the central gathering place for friends and family.
Ruth Pederson and Samuel Huntington (son of James and Julie). They both spent countless hours mastering the stairs in front of the house.
Rebecca Rice (daughter of Phil & Erika), Maria, Ellie and Ruthie Pederson.
Larry and Chris Campbell, family friend and elder at Bethel OPC in Carson, ND.
Thomas and Brian Pederson with Jonathan Rice (son of Phil & Erika).
Rebecca Rice, Maria and Ellie Pederson and Moriah Huntington (daughter of Jeremy and Janine).

July 11, 2007 Edward S.S. Huntington passed into glory.

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Isaiah 57: 1-2 says "The righteous perishes, and no man takes it to heart; merciful men are taken away, while no one considers that the righteous is taken away from evil. He shall enter into peace; they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness."

We rejoice that Ed is now with His Saviour, singing praises, free from the curses of sin. We look forward to a glorious reunion with him someday. May God be praised!

(The picture was taken the day of Ruth Anna Pederson's baptism, January 1, 2006.) Edward baptized 8 of our 9 children. He was a steadfast man of faith that passed that on to his children, grandchildren, and everyone he met. We miss him dearly.

The amazing twister match. July 8, 2007

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Brian and Joe Cernik in a very physical game of Twister.

Joe trying to hang on.
Just couldn't hang on.
Brian is victorious!

*Note. Joe tried to tie himself as much as possible. If the goal was to win, the game may have eneded entirely different.*

the Dade family

2007-08-06T10:21:00.000-06:00

There is a family from church that has 7 children living at home, and the whole family came to visit on July 8th, 2007. We had a glorious afternoon with swimming, jumping on the trampoline, playing sport toss (Rachel & Amy are the current champions, but there will be a rematch) and lots of food and fellowship. Below you see pictures of the fork lift rides that were given. The children had a blast, as did Larry, the forklift operator.

They were about 45' up in the air. There were ample adults on the ride as well, to ensure the safety of all children. (*no children were harmed in the taking of this picture.)
Here is the entire Pederson/ Dade clan on the forklift for a group picture. Lots of kiddos! I can assure you that we were only a foot or so off the ground for the security of all adults involved.
Hard to see but they are having a REALLY fun time.
Of course, Nicholas has to be laying on the edge. Dad took this ride really slow.

July 6, 2007

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We have the corbels and starbursts finished on the entire house. They are so beautiful in person. We can't wait for you all to come and see them.

Gut wrenching laughs.

2007-06-23T10:35:00.000-06:00

Do you remember when you were a child and you would laugh so hard that you fell on the ground? Do you remember you sides hurting when you were done, which was 10-15 minutes later? We have several members of our family that can laugh that long and when they start laughing, everybody else joins in even if they don't know what was funny initially. It is the chain reaction effect of laughter. Well, on this particular day, the below activity made the two boys involved stumble through the house barely able to stand because they were laughing so hard. I did manage to get a few pictures after the laughter died down. Here is the story behind the pictures. For Huckleberry Finn Day (pictures and post are down below), the boys dress up like Huck Finn. These are a pair of Dad's shorts that were worn for that day. Thomas and Nicholas decided to see if they could both literally fit into that pair of shorts. Wild laughter ensued and I was lucky enough to capture a few pics in the heat of the moment. Enjoy! And make sure that you take the time to think back to your own days of gut wrenching laughter.
strange version of Siamese twins...

What will they think of next?

After all of the festivies...

2007-06-21T11:53:00.001-06:00

We found this fort on the edge of Granby on our way out of town. It doubles as the school playground, but I assure you, it is far more than just a playground. It was a compound! The children got out the last of their energy before the 2 hour ride home. It gave Larry and I a chance to catch our breath after 2 very action packed days.
Ellie on the tire swing.
Thomas's self -photo.
Maria and Sabrina. Who is pushing? Hmmm...
Ruthie relaxing in the chair swing.
And of course Nicholas, who found something to climb on.

Welcome to the family! June 17, 2007

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The day was Father's Day, June 17, 2007. We all gathered in Granby, CO at The Lady of the Snow Catholic Church at 11:30 am to witness the wedding of Betty Jo Zachmeier to our Grandpa/Great-grandpa Roger. It was profound and emotional seeing the two families come together and bless them both. Welcome to our family, Betty Jo!
Here is the cute couple posing for pictures just before the ceremony began.
On the left is my cousin, Samantha Peterson. In the middle is one of Betty Jo's granddaughters and on the right is our Ellie.
Sabrina is on the left, Maria is in the middle and Ruthie is on the right. Betty Jo wanted all of the grandchildren/great-grandchildren involved in the ceremony. The oldest boys handed out programs while the girls and the young children walked down the aisle with flowers to put in a basket that was on the steps at the front of the church. Ruthie shook her flowers until the buds fell off the stem. We made sure that all of the buds made it into the basket and the bare stem made it back to our pew.
Here they are exchanging vows.
Aren't they adorable holding hands? We felt blessed to be able to attend. It is something I will remember forever. Congratulations Roger and Betty Jo Peet!

June 15, 2007 The trusses are up.

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It was time to get the trusses up on the roof. The crane set up and got right to work. Here is the story.
This was the first truss to be set. It will cover the back deck, north side, which is off the master bedroom. Larry setting the truss blocking.
Seth waiting for another truss.
Seth and Larry hanging over the edge (I have learned not to look) while nailing off the gable end truss.
Larry standing on the top of the south side wall waiting for another truss to be brought up.

More truss pictures.

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And just like that, another truss gets set.
Nicholas wanted to go along for the ride.
This truss is being set above the garage door.
The view from the front of the house, south side, with most of the trusses on.
This view is looking at the east side, the garage side, of the house.

June 10, 2007 Hiking at Fish Creek Falls

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This was a beautiful afternoon for a hike, so Dad took Ellie, Brian, Nicholas, Matthew and Joseph up to our favorite waterfall. They climbed all the way up to the top of the falls and were able to look down at the water cascading over the rocks. They came back tired, but full of stories. Here are a few of the pictures.
This is at the base of the falls on the little wooden bridge that crosses the creek. The hiking trail is across the bridge to the right. And up they go!

Here is a spectacular view of the waterfall from a rock even higher up. Someday I, Mom, would like to hike up to the top and see what they were able to see.
This is the perfect rock for a little rest and a picture.
Looking down at the little creek.

Just for the record...

2007-06-05T10:03:00.000-06:00

We wanted to formally announce, in case any of you have missed our wonderful news, that we are expecting baby #10 in November. Feel free to scroll back to the Anniversary picture and you can see the little one in Mom's protruding belly. We will be all moved into our new house, Lord willing, sometime in August, giving us plenty of time to adjust and get settled before the new baby arrives. Due date is November 17, but I say end of November just to keep my mind off the fact that my "due date" has come and gone yet again. The twins have their birthday on the 21st and Ruthie has her birthday on the 28th. It looks to be a very busy November again this year.

May God be praised for His continued blessings to us. We are humbled to receive another one of His children into our fold. May God give us the grace and wisdom to raise each child so they are a well-equipped warrior in God's army, able to accomplish the tasks God has for them.

Let's go to the park! June 4, 2007

2007-06-05T09:56:00.001-06:00

Once again, the children walked up to the local playground, sword in tow. It was a glorious afternoon and fun was had by all.
Matthew brandishing his sword.
Ellie and Maria on the new fangled "see-saw".
It is harder than it looks.
Ruthie trying to make her way up the climbing ladder.
Joseph the monkey.

more park pics...

2007-06-05T09:46:00.000-06:00

Ruthie sharing her cedar chip. She finds just about everything amusing.
Thomas has fallen off the turtle.
And now that they are all played out....
...they are on their way home.

The catch of the day. June 2, 2007

2007-06-05T09:41:00.000-06:00

Nicholas was the first successful fisherman, pictured here with his fine fish. He came home with two that day. Maria caught a whopper, but as she grabbed the fish and unhooked him, he jumped out of her hands, back into the stream. The one that got away...

Huckleberry Finn Day. June 2, 2007

2007-06-05T09:09:00.000-06:00

Huckleberry Finn Day has become an annual tradition with the Pedersons. Every year, the local Department of Wildlife stocks the local stream and has a free fishing day for children. They even supply the fishing rods and bait.
Brian didn't dress up like Huck Finn this year but Joseph did. Those very holey jeans come in handy.
Thomas fishing off the bridge and Matthew trying to learn his tricks.
Aren't they cute?

Nicholas in his Huck Finn garb.
Thomas fishing again.

The walls are up. June 1, 2007

2007-06-05T08:56:00.000-06:00

You are looking at the front of our new house. The gentleman standing on the ground is standing right in front of our front door. To your right is the garage.
This is a view through the garage door.
This is the back of the house with part of the garage door opening on the very left of the picture. None of the doors or windows have been cut out of the sheer yet. On the far right is the patio slab that comes off of the dining room.

Happy 15th Anniversary!

2007-06-05T08:48:00.000-06:00

We celebrated our 15th Anniversary on May 29th of 2007. It was a special evening alone for the two of us, something we don't do very often. Larry took me to an outstanding restaurant which gives new meaning to the words "fine dining". We decided that we would definitely be coming back to that restaurant.

We are both very thankful for the work that God has done in our lives and in our marriage over the past 15 years. It has been His hand that has sustained us and brought us through the trying times. May we continue to seek Him together for the rest of our days.

Musings from Mom.

2007-05-29T11:10:00.000-06:00

1 Corinthians 15:58 "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."

I must admit that often times I find myself weary in well doing. This verse was salve to my soul this morning as I read it. All that we do as Moms and as Dads will not be in vain, if done for the Lord. May God grant each one of us strength to do the work set before us this day. ~Amen

Monday, May 14, 2007. Track awards.

2007-05-29T10:36:00.001-06:00

Our Hayden Tigers. Brian, age 12 on the top, Ellie, age 14 bottom left and Thomas, age 14 middle right. They all did a tremendous job and increased their speed throughout the season. Spending time with the schools kids from the area was very eye opening for them. They are very thankful to be homeschooled.

Brian is in the center of this picture with the plaid shirt on. Due to the very low battery on the camera and the generally dim conditions of school auditoriums, the pictures didn't turn out as well as we hoped.
Ellie is on the left in the white skirt and flowered top. Thomas is to the immediate right between Ellie and the tall boy at the right.
You may be able to make out Thomas in this picture, although most of his body is covered up.