Sunny Days

Sweet little boys hanging out

2012-01-17T08:38:00.000-08:00

Nothing like some warm Jammie pictures in the middle of winter! I caught these two munchkins this week chillin together. Grayson looks scared in both pictures but he really is just taken by the flash from my camera.

Fun with Cousins in Ohio

2012-01-14T17:37:00.000-08:00

These Kiddos are a blast we all had so much fun playing together ! What can we say but cousins are the best and we are so glad for the fun time we all had together. The kids all go down in age with Kadence being the oldest in the group: Kadence 4 3/4 ; Cash 4 1/2 ; Colt & Regan 1 1/2 ; Grayson 3 months.

Christmas Memories

2012-01-14T17:05:00.000-08:00

I am so late getting a few Christmas Memories posted but this few cute shots give you a glimpse into our Christmas 2011. We had such a fun day together as a family and Kadence really had a blast opening presents this year as well as giving them. Although it was very hard for him to keep secrets about what he was giving us!

Littlest Man at 3 months

2012-01-02T21:43:00.000-08:00

3 MONTHS OLD

Grayson turned 3 months on Dec. 21st . These are a some cute candid pictures that Kadence and I took on that day to show how "Big" he is getting. He is much more alert now and loves to talk and coo when you talk to him. He is much stronger in the neck and can almost roll over to his back from his stomach. He is still a wonderful eater and sleeps all the way through the night beautiful for me. Talk about a good baby, now if we could only get him to take a bottle! :)

twas the weekend before Christmas

2011-12-18T22:30:00.000-08:00

This weekend happened a little different than I would have ever planned but I really learned a nice little lesson and hope I don't forget it soon. I think that it is very easy to think yourself not selfish when in fact you really are. I thought, " No we don't need to go visit someone in the hospital this weekend he will be fine, too much money, etc".
It was Kadence who taught me the best lesson! When he found out Papa was sick he went right over to his little coloring book and colored a picture of a animal, cut it out and told me he was going to take it too him to make him feel better. I realized he wasn't thinking about himself only what he could do and that to him was coloring a picture.
After that I told him we would make some cookies also to take and that made him so excited. He helped me start to finish and even decorated some special ones to take.

How unselfish and one track-I am so humbled by my little boy and his soft heart and convicted to remember others more than myself and what I WANT. Soooooo this weekend before Christmas we visited the hospital and I was reminded of a very important lesson.
True compassion and Christ love looks to others over yourself!

I was reminded of a sweet Christmas song called "Christmas Shoes" and it reminded me of my little Kadence and his big heart.

Christmas Shoes

2011-12-18T22:29:00.000-08:00

A quote from "The Grinch"

2011-12-12T20:56:00.000-08:00

“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow,
stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons.
It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags.
And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore.
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before.
What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store.
What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”

Rosva Dr. Seuss

I was reading this story to Kadence today and thought that this simple little story really does have a good meaning and maybey us adults should stop and read the real story of Christ's birth & ponder on the real reason for Christmas.

Some random Christmas photos

2011-12-12T20:51:00.000-08:00

Loved the smiles in this picture even though it blurred on me. Check out the adorable look on Grayson's face smiling at Joel. He loves his daddy so much allready.

I think sometime the pictures that never make the Christmas Card are so cute. These are a few of those as well as some candid shots I took yesterday and today. The picture of myself was taken by Kadence and he wanted me to post it. I must say he did pretty good. He was so cute begging to take a picture of me and telling me that it was his turn to use the camera.

A little Santa Claus

2011-12-09T22:53:00.000-08:00

Grayson all bundled and ready for the stroll.

So proud of his work in decorating the Christmas Tree.

No Christmas Stroll would be complete without the imaginary pretend Santa. Kadence had a blast and talked up a storm to the old man. Grayson didn't have much to say and slept through the "excitement". It was so fun just being out with all the lights and it even started to snow on us. A fun start to the Christmas season.

Random Everyday Shots (The precious memoents that make my days special.)

2011-12-09T22:40:00.000-08:00

Tummy Time ..."mmmm not sure what to think of this ?"

"OK now I am mad you guys."

Cheeeeese mom.....

All dressed up warm to go run errands with mommy and Kadence.

Cuddle time with mommy and lots of smooches.

So sweet and totally asleep in big brother's bed. He had been watching Kadence play and the excitement must have been too much.

Family time!

It all started with a book about a horse and Mountain Lion.

2011-11-14T21:19:00.000-08:00

Kadence has been reading another book about the horse Blaze and his adventures. This book has been his favorite and I am sure we have read it at least ten times this last week. It is a story about how Billy and his horse save a calf from a Mountain Lion and then receive a reward for helping the rancher find the Mountain Lion to shoot.

and then today an exciting thing happened.... our friend Craig Morgan shot a huge Mountain Lion on his ranch. So Kadence got to see his first Mountain Lion up close! Talk about perfect timing and making a little boys day...although when he got up close he was kinda nervous and said the teeth scared him. He was fine petting the long tail though.

I found this picture from National Geographic along with the following stats just for fun. It really is a large animal and those claws are kinda scary to see up close.

Mammal
Diet:: Carnivore
Size:: Head and body, 3.25 to 5.25 ft (1 to 1.6 m); Tail, 23.5 to 33.5 in (60 to 85 cm)
Weight:: 136 lbs (62 kg)
Protection status:: Endangered
Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man

A beautiful photo shoot . Preserved forever in film.

2011-11-10T19:46:00.000-08:00

I really cherish these photos and love my adorable little family. They need no other words.

first smiles are the most precious...

2011-11-10T17:53:00.000-08:00

so simple so sweet...

watching always and always learning.

SUCH SIMPLE JOY!

Little cries and six weeks old

2011-11-03T20:45:00.000-07:00

Today I am thankful that my little boy is 6 weeks old and has beautiful lungs to cry. The past several nights the poor little guy has been so upset in the evenings and into the nights. He has some form of colic and gets so tight and just cries. It has been so frustrating to me especially when I selfishly want to sleep. Tonight however I received a different perspective and am praising our Lord that he is healthy and can cry. Sometimes in life it is so easy to get caught up in the moment and not look forward and seek a different perspective. Who would have thought a screaming baby would teach me that principle tonight !

These precious pictures are Kadence attempts to help me entertain Grayson when he was fussy. So sweet and I think he is learning some good lessons also. :)

Horses... and books about horses

2011-11-01T22:49:00.000-07:00

We recently found this very fun series of books at the library about a little boy and his pony. The stories are all about the adventures the little boy has with his horse. Kadence loves them and begs me several times a day to read them to him.

He also loves to ride horses and really enjoys his lessons riding Smokey.
(Thanks mom for the great pictures!)

Cozy fall clothes and leaves

2011-10-31T10:29:00.000-07:00

October has already come and gone today. The forecast says snow for tomorrow and my thoughts this weekend went to cozy clothes and a warm fireplace. (Which thanks to Joel is now clean and ready for a fire. He really was a Chimney sweep for the harvest party!) My "Little men" enjoyed some nice fall weather and played outside yesterday. I loved hearing Kadence squeal as he jumped in the pile of leaves.

"Now's the time when children's noses
All become as red as roses,
And the colour of their faces
Makes me think of orchard places
Where the juicy apples grow,
And tomatoes in a row."
- Katherine Mansfield, 'Autumn Song'

Thank you Lord for healthy boys...they make all those simple moments so special.

~~~

My earthy dearest~~~~~~

2011-10-19T16:46:00.000-07:00

“When I have learnt
to love GOD
better than my earthly
dearest,
I shall love my earthly dearest
better than I do now.”
—C.S. Lewis

A picture of my newest earthly dearest at

3 weeks old...

Grayson William Pitsch

Baby Shower Time!

2011-09-01T15:02:00.000-07:00

Some very sweet friends threw me a baby shower this week, it was such a fun time of good food, visiting and of course wonderful presents. I felt like it was Christmas time for baby! Thanks girls for a fun night!

8O + DEGREE WEATHER =WATER UNDER THE TRAMPOLINE

2011-08-31T08:03:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love the expressions on Kadence face as he is jumping to cool off! I have to admit I took a little turn myself in hopes of relief. It is funny how something so simple can be so fun.

See how our GARDEN grows...

2011-08-31T07:54:00.000-07:00

My little helper has done such a good job of helping me in the garden this year. His favorite thing is looking for red tomatoes and bringing them to me. He also loves hanging out with Buster in the garden and looking for Butterflies!

Family fun time on the boat

2011-08-30T08:32:00.000-07:00

I am going back in time a bit as I realized that I hadn't posted some fun camping pictures during July. My sis Jennifer & her family, Joel's mom and step-dad and our friends the Mayo's all came along . We had so much fun and all have agreed that this must become a annual trip every year. We camped at Georgetown lake and were able to enjoy the water as well as good company. Allmost everyone enjoyed the fishing except for poor Ellie as little Owen decided to through her fishing pole into the water! :)

Yellowstone Park Trip

2011-08-29T16:10:00.000-07:00

We took a little day trip to Yellowstone last week mostly driving with a few mini-excursions to the Geysers. This prego mama can't walk far! It was still fun to be out and play tourists for a day. The last picture of the cow Elk and her calf was right in front of us as we had stopped to let Kadence play in the river and cool off a bit. It was quite crazy how undisturbed they were by us. Kadence kept telling Yvonne and I we needed to shoot them. He allready is a little hunter!

A thought for the day!

2011-08-17T07:35:00.001-07:00

Do all the good you can, in all the ways you can, to all the people you can, in every place you can, at all the times you can, as long as you can ♥ This will glorify our Lord and others will see Him through us.

A great summer break with COUSINS!

2011-08-14T20:38:00.000-07:00

Hanging out in Jackson Hole...

This was part of the big shootout in the town square. Since watching this Kadence has been very into being a cowboy and and shooting his guns. It was a very realistic shootout and the gunslinger even came up to Kadence and told him that he was watching him. You can about imagine how wide eyed he was.

The boys drinking their night-time milk, and chilling together.

More cowboy action in the museum dress up area.

They both got matching shirts with bears on them and so of course they wore them on the same day.

The big boys got matching shirts also and they wanted to be twins too. Isn't that cute!

Little miss Regan!

We had fun together and Kadence really misses his play buddies. He keeps asking me when they are going to come back and live with us.

"Our Little Gunslinger's'"

2011-08-11T22:19:00.000-07:00

We were able to spend some fun time in Jackson Hole with our family this last week. Kadence and his cousin Cash dressed up as cowboys in a Old Time picture studio. The pictures turned out so cute as the boys tried so hard to look tough. They had so much fun playing cowboys and dressing up in all the gear, I must say I was very impressed with how realistic they looked.

(If you are interested in ordering any prints from our photoshoot go to www.JUDGEROY.COM and enter password "pete8193. You can also view all the cute photos they took!)

Fair Ribbons

2011-08-01T12:03:00.000-07:00

Kadence did a great job of taking care of his animals at the fair all week. Everyday he helped me feed,water and clean out the pens. He also did a very good job of telling fairgooers about his animals and was always willing to let people pet his sheep. I was really proud of how well he did and the fact not once during the week did I hear him complain about going or helping. He was very excited to receive his ribbons for all his hard work. Good job "little man" !

Fair Day

2011-07-21T22:29:00.000-07:00

A little snack and bite to eat before the "Mutton Bustin starts.

getting all ready for the ride with daddys help...

watching the contestants before him.....

a dirty boy and his ribbon for trying!

A VERY proud boy and his ribbon for his sheep!

Parade time..

2011-07-17T08:40:00.000-07:00

Kadence was in his first parade this weekend, the Three Forks Rodeo Parade. He did such a good job of throwing candy and waving to all the kids. I love the huge smile I captured on camera when he saw me. He tried throwing me a sucker but I missed it as I was too busy snapping the camera.
I was a little worried he would miss out on candy but since they were in the front of the parade they stopped and watched the rest of the parade and he came out with quite the large bag of sugar. He had so much fun and kept asking daddy if they won!

Happy Anniversary Dad & Mom

2011-07-15T07:13:00.000-07:00

Happy 33 years together...it is so amazing that in this crazy world you have made a wonderful marriage last and been such a Godly example for all us kids. I hope you have a special day together and are encouraged in your ministry work.

In a time when nothing is more certain than change, the commitment of two people to one another has become difficult and rare. Yet, by its scarcity, the beauty and value of this exchange have only been enhanced.

~Robert Sexton

Soccer Play Time

2011-07-12T20:57:00.000-07:00

Mr. Player with his favorite color ball and the cutest smile on earth !

Trying to get the concept of the game down and run to kick the ball..

"mmmm Lexy yes we do need to talk about this game and our strategy"

playing goalie ...now what did that teacher say I was suppose to do?

break time and some water......ohhh I just can't believe how big my little man is getting but it is so much fun watching him have fun and try new things.

Good-Bye Dear "Lambchop"

2011-07-05T21:48:00.000-07:00

Sadly it was his time to go.....for 3 very BIG reasons

1) He is now larger than Abby

2) He is completely weaned off the bottle(even though he still cried for one)

3)He had more poop than Abby all over the yard and especially on the deck .I guess Alfalfa pellets bring out the big time poop.

Anyway we really miss him but he is much better on the sheep farm with lots of friends and Kadence and I will get him again in another week to show at the fair. Sadly our little baby is gone but we had a blast taking care of him.

Just hanging out in the flowers...

2011-06-19T22:05:00.000-07:00

....boys and their sticks what can I say!

6 Months pregnant and counting....

We all had a fun little hike up the mountain in the most beautiful meadow full of wildflowers. Kadence was such a obliging boy and smiled alot for mama to capture his cute smile. He was very proud of himself as we let him be the "Leader" and show us the way up the trail. I really love all the color and just soaked in the beauty of the mountains.

I just love this boy and I know I am prejudice but he has the cutest smile on earth (or at least very close).

A beautiful Apple Tree

2011-05-30T17:02:00.000-07:00

Our tree in front of our house bloomed out so beautiful this last week. I tried to take a few pictures of it before the pretty pink flowers disappeared. It is such a short lived time that they are so vibrant and stunning. I think this is such a good reminder to enjoy the little moments as they come and not take any for granted.

Planting the garden & look how big "Lambchop" is getting...

2011-05-30T16:54:00.000-07:00

A slumber party with a sheep? Who would have thought and Kadence was so proud of himself for finding Lambchop a friend. This was right after we got him and he was still pretty sick and had to stay inside. He completely lives outside now!

This picture somewhat displays what a very confused sheep and dog we have. The sheep thinks he is a dog and our dog thinks he is her baby. oh boy........

The look of excitement on Kadence face is so precious he loves taking care of and feeding his lamb. He does much of the feeding and is good about reminding me when he needs to eat.

Branding Day with the Morgans

2011-05-23T21:58:00.000-07:00

This weekend we helped our friends out with branding part of their calves. Joel was the pusher and Kadence spent the afternoon trying very hard to rope the calves after they had been branded. He even rode a couple of them and loved it. The pouty face picture is a sad boy who was told he couldn't ride any more calves. It was alot of fun and we all came home very dirty but let me tell you one little boy had an absolute blast!

A new little friend: ''Lambchop"

2011-05-08T19:58:00.000-07:00

Yes I am the crazy mama that at 5 months pregnant allowed my son to get a bum lamb to take care of. He is so sweet and follows me around the house and just cuddles right up to you. He is only about a week old and so is still very small. I guess I am now the official adopted mama. Kadence told me if I was his mama he wanted to be his daddy. So far he has done a very good job of helping us take care of him. Yes his name is "LAMB CHOP" and the name came with him and I didn't have the heart to change it!

Happy Mother's Day....introducing Baby Boy #2

2011-05-05T21:23:00.000-07:00

Angela & Kadence

My precious and very active 4 yr old who keeps me on my toes and is such a sweet guy. He told me on Sunday before church that I was pretty and looked like a princess. Enough to make any mommy melt! (although I think he was trying to get some candy out of me!)

He is slowly adapting to the idea of a little brother and decided today that they should get bunk-beds together. I haven't quite broken to him that it will be quite a bit before the baby can actually play with him. I know that he will be a great big brother and a good help to me.

These are a few of the clearer ultrasound pictures that really showed the baby clearly. The tech said he measures right at about 1lb and I am at 21 weeks which makes a due date of around the first week of Sept.

Easter Morning...Christ is Risen!

2011-04-25T16:49:00.000-07:00

Easter spells out beauty, the rare beauty of new life.

~S.D. Gordon

Three Forks Horse Drive

2011-04-25T16:31:00.000-07:00

Waiting for the horses with buddies...

finally here they come!

Wow we were definitely a little to close to all the horses running to get good shots. Nothing like seeing several hundred horse galloping through town.

Mommy and Kadence going on a ride in the Stagecoach.

A beautiful song for today...

2011-04-13T19:41:00.000-07:00

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

‘Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

‘Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home,
It's not our home

‘Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise

A couple moments from Kadence

2011-04-09T18:47:00.000-07:00

This "flying dinosaur" is on of the favorites and Kadence demonstrating how well he flys. I captured one grumpy face and another more happy.

It had been so long since I took a cute sleeping picture of ''little man" he was so tuckered out here from playing and sleeping so hard. Also he isn't posed the arm and leg position is all him! So funny!

and with that I promise to get back in the blogger/photo mode.

Happy 4th Birthday Kadence

2011-03-08T20:31:00.000-08:00

HOW A 4 YEAR OLD LOOKS AT LIFE!

Earth is a round ball-
A small rock near a big hot star,
Round with blue , brown and green.
Twinkling little stars and moon can be seen-
Here there is lots to play and see!

My "Little Man" turned 4 on Feb.27th and celebrated with a monster truck themed party, fun friends/ cousins and plenty of candy. It was so much fun to watch his excitement and joy in the days leading up to his party. He was so cute and helped me write a list of who to invite and what kind of games he wanted to play.
It was especially exciting birthday as Aunt Jennifer, cousin Ellie and Owen joined the party. All the wonderful pictures on this post are courtesy of my awesome sister as she helped me capture the day.

Joel's Promotion to E7 (Sergeant 1st Class)

2011-01-30T21:35:00.000-08:00

Kadence HOME VIDEO CLIPS riding his "Horse" Zena

2011-01-29T20:20:00.000-08:00

I thought that this short videos will add a little humor to your day as they did mine. Kadence is very into racing his horse lately and rides in many races. Usually I need to watch and make sure he wins but sometimes I will hear him in his room talking away to Zena and then taking her on another race as I hear him say, "On your marks get set go...".

On this little video Kadence will tell you a little about his horse. Please excuse the little fit at the end he was very frustrated at me for not checking out the tail of the horse.

Manhattan residents awake to rash to break-ins, attempted break-ins | KBZK.com | Z7 | Bozeman, Montana

2011-01-25T14:27:00.000-08:00

Manhattan residents awake to rash to break-ins, attempted break-ins | KBZK.com | Z7 | Bozeman, Montana

This happened to us this morning...we totally had both our vehicles broke into last night. How sad that our sleepy little town got targeted last night. Thank the Lord that no one was injured but how sad that people get desperate enough to do crazy acts of violence.

Present Time!

2010-12-31T16:34:00.000-08:00

"Mommy, daddy is it Christmas today ? Yipee(as he runs to the livingroom and graps a present to start unwrapping).' I wish Christmas could be everyday ' says a little boy."

Christmas Eve

2010-12-24T21:56:00.000-08:00

The boys warming up after sledding today. It was a balmy 10 degrees out so the hot water was just the ticket ! I thought these were so pretty with all the snow on the trees and the warm steam from the water. Just so you know the water temp was 103 degrees so my little man didn't freeze.

..............................................................................

Introducing Present number one....Smoky the horse. Because we are suckers as parents we let Kadence open one present on Christmas Eve after we got home from church tonight. This fabulous horse is a present from Grandpa & Grandma Petersen. You can see we had a very excited little boy. Who had a very hard time going to sleep tonight after this wonderful present.

(Note he is still wearing his cute little Christmas sweater Jennifer.)

Christmas Snipets...

2010-12-23T23:04:00.000-08:00

Just a few glimpses of early Christmas at our house. I am fascinated by ornaments and how beautiful they look on a tree with the lights shining. Kadence was singing so cute tonight that I just had to record him so you could all listen to the most creative medley of songs.

Christmas Sunday School Play

2010-12-21T09:34:00.000-08:00

This Christmas I arranged a small play for the kids I teach in Sunday School. My own "little man" being one of them. It was titled 'The Littlest Christmas Tree' and the kids really had alot of fun being in the play as little forest animals. We had several funny bloops but I think the message was still delivered ,amid the chaos, about the true meaning of Christmas.
If you listen towards the beginning Kadence's pine cone breaks and he starts crying about it...of course that happened to him, poor guy! He also didn't stand still very well so have fun keeping track of him. :) Enjoy

Here comes Santa Claus, Here comes Santa Claus... (or at least the guy dressed up in red at Manhattan)

2010-12-13T18:01:00.000-08:00

Proof that Kadence attended the Manhattan Christmas Stroll and sat with a guy with a white beard!

Elk Country Montana

2010-12-13T14:46:00.000-08:00

A beautiful drive today allowed for a sighting of a very large herd of Elk that were bedded down not far from the road. I was able to capture a few distant shots although they don't do justice for how beautiful they actually looked. After a very productive hunting season it was really nice to be able to just sit and watch these majestic animals. I had a very frustrated little boy with me who couldn't understand why mommy wasn't getting out her gun to shoot. So frustrated in fact that he spooked the herd to stand up and move around !

Sometimes it is admiring the simple and calm things in life that make for the best times.

Shutterfly Cards

2010-11-21T18:07:00.000-08:00

For the past four years our family has used www.shutterfly.com to produce fun family photo cards. I have used basic portraits to pictures of us during hunting season with our "trophies". The cards have always been easy to design and very professional in appearance. I love how I don't have to print seperate pictures to mail to relatives in addition to mailing out cards with photos. I had my best experience with Shutterfly when I was in Asia visiting my parents and was able to take photos upload them and then send cards to Joel. Shutterfly actually mailed them for me so I didn't have to pay international shipping.
During the Christmas season I especially enjoy picking out and designing my cards from all the festive designs. It seems like every year they always have a fun new selection to choose from so I am never having to use the same design.
The following links will take you to the two products that I use the most. Please consider trying out their photo service this holiday season.

· holiday cards http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/holiday-cards

· greeting cards to http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/5x7-folded-greeting-cards

· photo albums to http://www.shutterfly.com/photo-books/simple-path

Happy photo creating!

Deer Hunting Family Adventure

2010-11-14T18:00:00.000-08:00

The 1st kill...

cleaning out the deer with a wonderful little helper...

hiking to find mommy's deer...

Found the 2nd kill...

(Whew mom and dad I am one tuckered out little boy. )It was a great family day together and Kadence 1st deer hunting adventure.

Fall Leaves Fun

2010-11-07T22:12:00.000-08:00

I finally got myself out this weekend and snapped some canded shots of Kadence and his buddy Tristin playing with leaves. They were finding good leaves and then painting them different colors. Sounds basic but they both loved it and it became quite the adventure to find the best leaf.

The following slide show is those same pics and a few others I thought it would be fun to experiment around with some music to pictures. I posted a few of my fav still shots above that I took. Enjoy!

Digital slideshow personalized with Smilebox

Fall camping fun with Grandpa & Grandma Petersen

2010-10-15T15:53:00.000-07:00

A walk in Bridger Canyon with Grandpa & Grandma...

Smiling so sweet for mama (you should have seen the actions behind me to get this shot).

Forest Service Camping and a little Bear hunting...

Love you mom! Thanks for coming to visit!

Looking good dad you still got the touch.

(my cute grubby boy)

We are so enjoying my parent's visit and have been taking advantage of the beautiful Indian Fall weather that we have been blessed with. We rented a forest service cabin for the weekend in the Gallatin Canyon. It was located along the Taylor's Fork Rd. I must say it was quite the exciting weekend as we had fun in the woods and also enjoyed seeing a Moose and Grizzly Bear in the wild. Mom and I didn't hang out too long to see the Grizzly though. Dad and Joel were much calmer and lingered longer to ogle at the wildlife but then Joel was the one packing the IRON. I stupidly burnt my finger on Joel's lantern not expecting a flame to be hot I guess and Kadence had a grand time helping carry wood inside and look for bear poop.
It so so amazing to me when you are out and completely away from phones,TV and civilization how calm and peaceful your world is. MMMMMmmmm maybe there is something to that!

Nebraska Football 2010, Can You Feel It

2010-09-26T23:11:00.000-07:00

In the true spirit of football season I had to share these pictures again and this new 2010 promo video for the Cornhuskers. Check out the doors at the beginning of the video and who is standing in front of those in the photo. The following is a season schedule link:

http://www.huskers.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=100&SPID=22&SPSID=3

Angela's Cooking

2010-09-18T20:58:00.000-07:00

I laughed so hard at this old advertisement about bad cooking ! This could as easily been my wonderful husband trying to make me feel better about a meal gone bad. Have a good laugh today...

Cousins...

2010-09-17T19:59:00.000-07:00

Owen:

''What are you guys doing? Please, please will you let me come play with you?"

Kadence & Ellie:

'Honest we aren't doing anything wrong! "

An exciting new camera !

2010-09-17T19:47:00.000-07:00

I recently came across a Polaroid Colorpack II Camera at a garage sale. After some research I discovered that only Fuji still sells Polaroid film to work for the camera. It cost way more than the actual camera but has been so much fun experimenting with. Thankfully I had a visit from my sis and mom who helped me figure out how the camera works and took some fun experimental shots. The following is a description of the camera and some fun details about the camera.

Description:

Here we have a Polaroid Colorpack II Land Camera. Although the Polaroid 100 film for this camera is no longer being produced, it is still available from several online sources. THE EXCITING NEWS all over the web on October 14 is that in 2010, Polaroid film will once again be available (both black and white, and color)!
The camera measures 6 3/4" x 6" x 5 1/2". About this camera, from Wikipedia: "Initially produced in 1969, the Colorpack 2 was the first rigid, plastic bodied, colour film capable Polaroid to retail at consumer range prices, and set a precedent for many, many similar models that followed. The Colorpack is designed only for 100 series packfilm.
Focusing is carried out by turning the distance-marked front lens element; unlike the original Polaroid 100-400 series packfilm cameras, this series features no rangefinder mechanism. As an improvement over the original folding series however, there is no need to cock the shutter after each exposure. The Colorpack 2 also takes generic 'blue dot' flashcubes, with a wind-up hot shoe and small plastic diffuser set to one side of the lens.
Early versions of this model featured a glass lens, but most were plastic."

Here are the famous behind the scenes photography shots:

Happy FOUR Years !

2010-09-08T08:59:00.000-07:00

We have been married a whopping 4years today...I was looking back at some wedding pictures and choose some more candid shots that I liked to post. I love my husband and our life and am so thankful we were brought together.

Little Helper

2010-09-08T08:07:00.000-07:00

After being gone for a couple weeks I can home to find the most gigantic zucchini in my garden. So my big "little man" had to try and carry them. He actually managed way better than I thought and loved showing me his BIG muscles. Although when it came time to eat the things he decided he didn't much care for them !

Montana State Football Military Appreciation Day

2010-09-08T07:54:00.000-07:00

For the 1st home game of the year at Montana State the Army helped with the presentation of the colors at the beginning of the game.Joel is standing in front of the flag as he was leading the marching. It was such a beautiful day and was a fun start to the fall season.

Lee Brice - Love Like Crazy (Official Video)

2010-09-05T14:45:00.000-07:00

This is a great song a song about staying together through the long haul and reminds me of true commitment in marriage.

Nebraska Summer Adventure

2010-09-05T14:30:00.000-07:00

While Joel was at AT(Annual Training) with the Nat. Guard the last two weeks working hard training and evaluating shooting, Kadence and I took off for the corn fields and family to visit. We had a wonderful time visiting cousins, 2nd cousins, grandma, aunts, uncles and everyone in between.
Much of our time was spent hanging out with grandma and going on little drives around the area. It was so nice to catch up on life in general. We visited grandpas grave and I really enjoyed listening to grandmas stories of her life. I found out that during WWII she was a Riveter in the plane factory ! It is so nice sometimes to just listen and learn from experiences. It really touched me to hear grandma talk how after all this time how much she misses grandpa and hear her talk about him and how they met. Those stories are so sweet and reminded me of the words in the song I posted on the previous blog.

Kadence was spoiled at Uncle Bill & Aunt Cheryl's as he got to help out with the haying, ride horses, collect chicken eggs and play with all the farm animals. He found out he really like to run in the corn field's till one time he ran a little far and after that stayed closer to home.

I also really enjoyed visiting the Old Market Area in downtown Omaha. It had so many unique shops and it was fun to see where grandma used to come with her dad to sell produce when she was young. She told me the funniest story about how on the way home from the city her dad would get so tired and just dose off. The horse knew the road so well that he just kept going as her dad slept.

While in Nebraska I took a drive one afternoon to Lincoln and thought Kadence and I would just walk around the football stadium. Well we had great timing as the team was practicing and we were also able to go out on the field and take pictures.

(I thought this was so full of thought you can just hear Kadence thinking someday I am going to play out there.)

On Sunday evening my Uncle Gary & Aunt Diane hosted a very fun family BBQ and hayride for the whole family. It was so fun too see everyone together and reminded me how blessed we are to have a FAMILY.

We also explored the Henry Doorly Zoo not once but twice as we just couldn't get enough! This was a fun memory for me as I remember mom and dad taking me when we were young.

Raspberry picking at Rocky Creek Farm

2010-09-05T13:14:00.000-07:00

I am trying to play catch-up a bit on on photos from the last month. We joined some friends to go raspberry picking at a local u-pick farm. It was fun to be outside enjoying the weather, getting dirty and having a fun picnic lunch. Kadence actually helped pick this year and had about a cups worth to contribute to our bucket. Ironically I didn't get any pictures of us actually picking and the one I had of our berries I deleted. Friends let me tell you it was not some of Angela's brighter photographic moments. I guess I was having too much fun to worry about taking pictures.

Lewis & Clark Caverns

2010-08-10T21:18:00.000-07:00

(look it is Angela in a picture, she does exist, yes she does, AMAZING!...)

Last sunday we decided that it would be a fun day to explore a little Montana outdoors or rather underground so to the caves we went! It was Joel and Kadence's 1st time to the caverns and we all really had fun hiking and exploring together. Kadence did the 2 mile hike up and down very well and really had fun inside the caverns looking for bats. Which I don't think he really needs to look very hard as we have them in our own yard. I had fun exploring the use of very low lighting on my camera in the cave and I think Joel just like hiking and getting in trouble with the tour guide for having a backpack. The guy kept making him turn it to the front, it was actually quite funny as the reason he had the darn thing was stuff for me.

Exhibit A(how to carry a pack properly in cave):

On a more serious note this is a little history from Wikipedia on the caverns:

Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park is located in southeastern Jefferson County, Montana. The primary feature of the park is its namesake cavern.

The cavern was discovered in 1892 by Dan A. Morrison. The site was first established as "Lewis and Clark Cavern National Monument" on May 11, 1908, but was not fully surveyed and declared until May 16, 1911 by President Taft as 160 acres (0.65 km2). The limestone cave is named after the explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark since the cavern overlooks over 50 miles (80 km) of the trail from the Lewis and Clark Expedition along the Jefferson River, although Lewis and Clark never saw the cavern. It is located approximately 45 miles (72 km) west of Bozeman, Montana, and 60 miles (97 km) northwest from the northwest corner of Yellowstone National Park.
The caverns are also notable in that much of the work done to make the cave system accessible to tourists was performed by the New Deal-era Civilian Conservation Corps.
It was disbanded as a national monument on August 24, 1937, and transferred to the state of Montana. The site was formally dedicated as a state park in 1941, Montana's first state park.

First Flight !

2010-08-10T20:58:00.000-07:00

A day to look at old planes.

2010-08-10T20:37:00.000-07:00

This is one of the original passenger planes from the 1920's that was operated by Delta. It even had a small LAV in the back of the plane.

Last saturday we took Kadence to see some planes at Three Forks. He loved looking in the old planes and got sooo excited when one would start up and roar past. He is getting quite good at an airplane imitation sound and can tell you different parts of the plane. I am showing some of the more unique planes that I enjoyed seeing on the ground and in the air.

New Items in Etsy Shop

2010-07-30T22:05:00.000-07:00

Just thought I would share my Etsy shop website :
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Mtfashiondiva

I have had fun creating it and shopping for items to add. Check it out if you have a minute. I still have a couple more things to sell that should be on in the next day or two.

The Vice-Presidents Airplane "Airforce Two" visits Bozeman

2010-07-27T20:15:00.000-07:00

Once again we were visited by a top government official by the name of Joe Biden our Vice-President. He had come to Bozeman to visit Yellowstone Park and observe the projects funded by the stimulus plan. A second plane flew in because of a mechanical and after talking to security I was able to take Kadence on board and snap a couple pictures. It is not everyday your 3 year old gets to visit a presidential plane !

I found the following explanation of "Airforce Two" and thought it would be interesting to my vast reader audience:

In aviation any aircraft that the president boards instantly assumes the call-sign Air Force or Marine or Navy or Coast Guard or Army One depending on which branch of the military owns the aircraft he is on. When George Bush landed on the aircraft carrier and declared "Mission Accomplished" in Iraq, the plane he was on carried the designation "Navy One" because it was a Navy jet he was riding in. This carries over to the vice-president as well where the call-sign becomes "Air Force or Marine or Navy or Coast Guard or Army Two.
This is done to eliminate any confusion with air traffic control as to the importance of the flight, Airforce one and two are automatically given priority over all other flights except in cases of emergency and usually all air traffic is temporarily restricted in any area where airforce one or two are operating. -Wikipedia

Check out this clip from his visit to the park:

http://www.kulr8.com/news/local/Biden-Visits-Yellowstone-99301979.html

The tire swing

2010-07-27T19:28:00.000-07:00

Summer has allready gone by too fast and as you can tell I havn't been spending much time updating pictures. The other night I did capture some really cute action shots of Kadence on his tire swing that daddy made him. This is by far his favorite outdoor toy in the new yard and provides lots of laughs from him. He loves to share and is always excited when friends come over to play with him.

Fourth of July BBQ fun

2010-07-08T21:48:00.000-07:00

We had a family BBQ the night before the 4th and lit off our fireworks, the little boys had so much fun and did really well with the sparklers and we will not discuss the events that happened with the big boys and fireworks. Lets just say that the carpet in the back of my pathfinder has a burn mark on it now. :(
Battle scars i guess they are called...
A certain friend has a portion of her hair burned and we have a lawn chair with a burn hole in it. Oh yes I left out the burn on Joel's hand. The rest is up to the readers imagination!
We did a quick drive to Billings on the fourth and really enjoyed the fireworks display.Thankfully we were far enough away that nothing was burned. I attempted with guidance from my sis to take a few pictures but was really disappointed in the outcome. I still didn't have my shutter slow enough or my camera still enough for it.
It was a fun weekend celebrating America's freedom and we are so grateful for that freedom everyday !

Georgetown Lake Weekend

2010-06-29T08:37:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful lake surrounded by mountains and filled with rainbow trout. Kadence helped catch his first fish this weekend and learned to help drive the boat. We had so much fun just hangin out and enjoying the warm weather. It was a much needed rest for all of us and some good time together. Joel also turned 29 this weekend with some yummy cupcakes and a boat ride. We are loking forward to more lake time this summer and would love for some company on the boat.

A busy VBS week

2010-06-29T08:02:00.000-07:00

This last week I taught the pre-school class at our church's VBS. The theme this year was Egypt and the kids learned how God made their bodies special and how they were created in God's image. We had lessons from the life of Moses in the Bible. It was a very rewarding week and I pray that little seeds were planted in the kids hearts. It amazed me how they would remember certain parts of the lesson and names.

Tornado Hits Billings, Mt.

2010-06-21T00:06:00.000-07:00

This is an amazing picture taken by my friend Raleigh Starnes of the tornado that hit Billings, Mt. tonight around 6:30 pm. For more pictures of the destroyed Metra and area around go to the Billings Gazette online.

I had several planes diverting tonight at work because of this and really wondered what was going on so bad. WHAT A MIGHTY GOD WE SERVE!

A Tribute to Fathers Day #1 : Grandfathers

2010-06-18T22:49:00.000-07:00

The history of our grandparents is remembered not with rose petals but in the laughter and tears of their children and their children's children. It is into us that the lives of grandparents have gone. It is in us that their history becomes a future.
~Charles and Ann Morse

I thought in honor of Father's Day I would talk about different men that have shaped my life and a special memory I have with them. Today I would like to share about my Grandpas' and a couple things I remember special about them.
Grandpa Geiger:
He was always quiet and kept back a little but whenever you took the time to chat he was very interesting to talk to with great stories about farming the old homestead, riding horses and how things have changed. A simple man but very kind and loving to the large family.
He made beautiful wood carved jewelry and made sure all us granddaughter's received parts of his work. I remember him one time letting me pick out whatever earrings I wanted. I chose these silver boots that he had carved and them painted with finger nail polish. He had a very funny smile as he told me what he had painted them with and that he really like the way they turned out.
Another vivid memory I have from when I was very young and grandpa and grandma had taken us kids fishing with them. I was messing around and somehow the fish hook caught in my thumb. To this day I still remember the pain and how hard I was crying. Grandpa graped my thumb and in the sternest voice I ever remember him using (probably why I remember so well) told me to hold still and he would take care of it. Funny how certain things stick in your mind..but Grandpa Geiger became a hero to me that day as he rescued my thumb from the fish hook.
One of my last memories I have is a time we visited him in the nursing home when Kadence was only a couple months old. He sat with him and talked so kind and held his little hand in his large wrinkled hand. I remember telling mom to take a picture because it was so special and meant so much to see that moment. Simple memories but still special !
Grandpa Petersen:
My memories are very small and from a kids mind as Grandpa passed away when I was really young. I remember him laughing and talking while grandma was making breakfast. I also remember the big garden and how I thought it was so gigantic when we would play in it. For some crazy reason I also remember sitting on his lap and laughing so hard with him ,probably getting tickled.
Growing up I recall countless times when dad would say, "Your grandpa would say this about people or give this advice". I appreciate the advice to this day and recall many of those talks with fondness. I love to listen to Grandma talk about Grandpa and how they met and the things they did. She has told me some wonderful stories that I really love and helped me know him more. I have always wished I would have been able to get to know him better, I think we would have had alot of fun together.

I thank my Grandpa's for their legacy and miss them both this Father's Day.

Guess what we have been doing today ?

2010-06-12T21:30:00.000-07:00

MMMMmmmmmm cleaning & more CLEANING.....

So we all got into the action today even "little man" helped washing windows. Fogive the silly pictures we started getting a bit goofy. (I think we smelled to much cleaner !)

Moving & A New House

2010-06-11T21:25:00.000-07:00

Since my life has been a bit chaotic lately with moving and cleaning the other house not much time has been devoted to pictures. However this evening I did take a few minutes and take a few of the new house. I will be taking more as we get things put together and out of boxes. So bear with me as I feel like everything has become a chore lately. I captured a few cute pictures of Kadence the last few days in mom and dad's house playing that I am also including in this post. It was very bitter sweet for me to move as that house held so many good family memories. Although it is very exciting to FINALLY own our own home for Joel and I. I am really starting to understand that home truly is where your heart is and not so much about a building or place.

Enjoy!

(This was in our empty bedroom watching a movie on the last day as we were busy moving boxes and furniture. He had made himself a comfy little nest !)

NEW HOUSE....

We really like the front porch swing. Kadence and I have allready been reading out there and swinging together.

....thats it for right now I will be showing pics of the kitchen and bedrooms soon. I don't think you really want to see pictures of boxes and lots of mess ! :)

Memorial Day Parade 2010

2010-06-01T08:11:00.000-07:00

Kadence and Michael waiting so patiently for the parade to start.

Kadence wanted Grandpa & Grandpa to see the picture of the "Motorbike".

The elderly man in the red coat in this photo is a WW2 Vet that survivied Iwo Jima. We saw him at the Legion BBQ he was so kind and chatted with Kadence.

I loved that this man still wore his uniform and was able to be a part of the parade.

Joel(2nd row from the back) and others from the 163rd Infantry marching.

The folks on this float are all Airmen from WW2. I loved the lady on the end holding the picture of her dad who died in combat during the war.

Memorial at the cemetery for those that have died. Afterward several vintage miltary planes did a fly over in salute.

This is my favorite picture from the day. The boys were walking to the cemetery and I happened to see this...Kadence told me that daddy was teaching him and Michael to march just like him. He was so precious and very proud of his daddy. I had to try it in blk/white also and really liked the effect.

Let us NEVER forget the sacrifices made by those that died so we can enjoy our freedom.

(casting crowns)A Tribute To Our Soldiers(very sad video)

2010-05-30T13:37:00.000-07:00

Thank a Veteran this Weekend and praise God that we live in a FREE country !

2010-05-29T14:32:00.000-07:00

It is the

VETERAN,

not the preacher,

who has given us freedom of religion.

It is

the VETERAN,

not the reporter,

who has given us freedom of the press.

It is

the VETERAN,

not the poet,

who has given us freedom of speech.

It is

the VETERAN,

not the campus organizer,

who has given us freedom to assemble.

It is

the VETERAN,

not the lawyer,

who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is

the VETERAN,

not the politician,

Who has given us the right to vote.

It is the

VETERAN who

salutes the Flag !

A great day for a horseback riding lesson...

2010-05-26T19:33:00.000-07:00

Kadence did such a wonderful job with his first riding lesson. He learned how to saddle a horse, tell a horse to "giddy-up",stop, go backwards and to turn. He was very comfortable and excited to help with everything. After his ride he petted the horse and said, "Good job girl, thanks for my ride !". It was so much fun for me to see him enjoy something that I truly love to do also. Grandpa you need to come visit so you can go riding with your little cowboy now. :)

A Big Boy Bike

2010-05-22T14:30:00.000-07:00

Yes my little baby boy is no longer....he learned to ride his first BIG BOY BIKE today with a little help from daddy and training wheels. He is decked out in a helmet and pads because he tends to be a little reckless and mommy was being overprotective. He did a really good job on his first attempt and the slight hill rom the driveway was great to give him a little speed. Hurray for Kadence !

Through the tough times God is always strong & faithful.

2010-05-21T20:44:00.000-07:00

This past week has been a very difficult time for me and reallly forced me to cling to Christ and His ever-present love. I had spent much time feeling sorry for myself and focusing on MY pain. Tonight though I was reading some scripture verses, that my sister had sent in a letter to encourage me, and I realized how much I really needed to get my eyes off myself and discomfort. Sometimes I think in life that God in His finite wisdom knows and allows situations to strenthen me and mold me in His likeness. Not that going through anything hard is easy but for some reason this fact alone brought me so much comfort tonight.

I was at the kitchen table reading when I looked outside and realized how beautiful the backyard tree looked in the evening light. I took several different pictures of the same scene in different aperature and ISO settings. Isn't it interesting how the exact picture can look so different in changes of light. My life is the same way I feel, my situation can look so different based on the way I approach it.

I was also encouraged by the following quote from a book I have been reading by Luci Swindoll.

"Nothing is wasted. The good, the bad, the ugly and the things we think will kill us. God uses it all, and He develops our purpose out of the stuff in our trash. He sifts through it, shows us how to tell it, and then helps others with it. We all meet in our own humanity. How has God enriched you to help others?"

Women in Flight Award

2010-05-18T17:31:00.000-07:00

This last week I found out that my friend Vicki Danhof, who is a local pilot, entered our helicoptor ride which we took a month ago into a Centennial of Women in Flight competition. It was myself and Yvonne Siemer as passengers and Vicki as pilot. We won 3rd prize for the most unusual flight. In our flight we flew a pattern along the river, flew very low and herded some Buffalo and did some manuevers.
Considering the women that won ahead of us this is actually quite the achievement.
The following is the website along with a couple pictures which I took that we are featured on. It is kinda exciting and we also received a certificate acknowleging the flight.

http://centennialofwomenpilots.com/award_winners

It's a CLOWNS WORLD ! ~fOTO fRIDAY

2010-05-07T07:54:00.000-07:00

“But the fact that some geniuses were laughed at does not imply that all who are laughed at are geniuses. They laughed at Columbus, they laughed at Fulton, they laughed at the Wright brothers. But they also laughed at Bozo the Clown.”

Dr. Carl Sagan quotes (American Astronomer, Writer and Scientist, 1934-1996

While cleaning out our storage room my husband found these clown figures and I thought they kinda looked intriguing as good still photo material. It is interesting to me the perspective that comes across when taking a simple picture of a basic item. In its own way it makes it come alive and the eye sees more than just looking at an object. I also couldn't resist shooting some little toes that were still for an unbelievable couple minutes !

Go to Reinassaince Blog to see other interpretations of Still Life Photography today.

OLD TRUCKS

2010-04-27T08:49:00.000-07:00

I saw these old trucks by accident and didn't think much of them untill Kadence ran over to explore and then getting a closer look i thought they would take interesting pictures. I didn't do any photo retouching the only change i did was to turn the one to sepia tone. I am fairly happy with the lighting on most of them and kinda like the effect with the bright sky behind. I had been reading about using angles with photography and so i tried getting really low looking up. I uses my macro setting on the close ups and changed to Aperture priority on a high Fstop for the others. I think i did something else also but can't remember. Doesn't that just sound like me ! I hope you enjoy these.

Montana Horse Drive

2010-04-24T18:01:00.000-07:00

"There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man." Winston Churchill

Three Forks, Mt.(sponsored by Montana Horses) had their annual horse drive through town into the lower pasture area. We were too late to get pictures of them going through town(sad) but I still was able to capture some nice action shots of the horses in the pasture.I was testing my settings so the lighting is a bit different in some of them. It was so fun watching so many horses running around together. Kadence, of course, had a blast and was able to go on a stagecoach ride in town which completely made him grin from ear to ear. He saw a pretty white horse running around in front of the others(you can see it in a couple of my pics) and said,"Look mommy it is my Prince". Prince is a toy white horse that Kadence likes to take everywere with him including a trip to Singapore.:)

It was a fun family afternoon hangin out together.