New Year's Eve 2008

We celebrated New Year's with Kaden this year! We started out at Brett's for a dinner party. Brett did a great job at hosting a awesome party! We had French Dips and played Partini, while we ate! it was a really fun and funny game!

Kaden was so good, and was such a happy boy for most of the night!

After Brett's we went over to my Grandma and Grandpa's to play some games.

By 10 o'clock Kaden had enough and was ready to go home and get to bed!

We had a fun toy for Kaden to bring in the new year! He didn't make it to the New Year so he got to play with his horn in the morning, it actually worked out better, he was so happy once he got some sleep.

Jake and I both made it just past midnight (which for me rarely happens)!

Kaden's First Time in the HighChair & Bouncer

Well we decided it was time to break out the highchair! I was attempting to make dinner one night and Kaden wanted no part in playing with his toys on the ground! So I decided to try out the highchair and see how he would do in that! He loved it, I was able to get dinner done and we were able to eat dinner without Kaden making a peep! This is now how we have to make dinner if both of us aren't here! Kaden is so much fun, and we love all of our new adventures and experiences with him! He is growing up so fast!

Kaden also just experienced his first time in the bouncer, and he loves it. he spins him self around and around (slowly). When we first put him in it he was way over stimulated, and didn't know what to do with himself. He has now gotten the hang of the whole thing and plays in it for a long time, as long as somebody is sitting right there next to him and playing with him if nobody is right there next to him he will last a few min.!

Our First Light Rail Experience!

We had our first Light Rail Experience in AZ! We went with Brett the Tuesday before New Years. It was Free till 2009, so we decided we better go on a light rail excursion. It was so much fun, and Kaden was great the whole time! I am not sure how much we will use the Light Rail but it would make for a fun date night or something!


We rode it down to Tempe at some dinner, then headed back home!

Kaden was worn out by the end of the night!

The Camera has been Found!!!!!

That's right everyone, no need to worry, you can all sleep more sound because,
I found my camera!

Anyone who didn't read my post a while back, I had lost my camera that I had just bought and all the pictures on it (losing the pictures made me more sad then losing the camera)!

I guess that I have lost my mind since I started back at work, I seem to lose everything in the most random places (or not so random places)!

To let you all know I had spent hours (probably close to 15 Hours) looking for this stupid camera!

Usually after Christmas I dread putting the Christmas decorations away, well, not this year! I thought for sure when we put all the Christmas decorations away we would find the long lost camera. We put Christmas away the next day (which has never happened and will probably never happen again). It was all put away and cleaned up and still no camera! I was so depressed about not finding the camera, I figured somebody happened to come across a nice new camera with the cutest pictures that they just couldn't part with it. I gave up all hope.

Well, this is the part where I have lost my mind comes in. I was at work the Tuesday after Christmas, a day that I will never forget, I was in the quiet room pumping (I know too much detail but it is an important part of the story), I was just about done and was going to clean everything up, I was getting my gigantic purse ready to put everything away when I saw a red glimmer, could it be, I started to scream (remember this is the quiet room!) I found it, I found my red camera! I was heading back to my desk with a huge smile on my face, three people commented on how happy I was, they had no idea! Once I got back to my desk I knew the real challenge came, I had to call Jake and let him know what I had found, and WHERE I had found it!

It turned out that Jake was more excited about me finding the camera that he didn't really care about where I had found it AT THAT POINT.

After all of those hours of looking for this camera I never even considered to look in my purse. And after all of the times that I have had to put things back in my purse I have never had that red glimmer stand out to me!

I know I have lost my mind!

Without further adue here are some of the long lost pictures!

Hope you enjoy!

This is is Kaden's first day at the sitter's, I wanted daddy to document it so I would be able to be apart of if (Jake drops him off before he heads off to work)!

This was our first real date (more then just rushing through dinner) after having the baby! We went to Street's of New York and then to a movie! I have to admit it was a lot harder then I imagined it to be, I made Jake leave the movie about 5 min early because I missed my Kaden so bad! Jake didn't admit it but I am sure that he missed him just as bad because he kept saying "we don't have to stay for all of the movie we can leave when ever you want, I totally understand". When I said I wanted to leave we were up and out of the theater in no time!

And yes I cried on the way home, (I needed my baby so bad) I guess that it was a learning experience, after working all day and not getting to spend time with Kaden since 4:30 in the morning, we can't go on a date, we will have to go out on Saturday's (or just go out for a rushed dinner!)

Kaden has his Daddy wrapped around his little finger! Jake is at home with him for most of the day, and will do anything for Kaden. One day Jake had things to get done with around the house, and all those who know Kaden knows that he doesn't like to take naps! So Jake puts the Baby carrier on and goes to work! This is how Jake had to put the Christmas lights up this year!

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPod touch]

Christmas!!!! (A little Late)

This year was the best Christmas ever! To have Kaden this year has made all the difference. There has been such a special spirit in our home this year. We love that we were able to spend this season with all of our families. We spent Christmas Eve with my family this year- we went to Grandma and Grandpa Two's home. We had a great dinner and a nice program. After that we went over to the Meyer's for some family fun!

Christmas Morning Jake was chomping at the bit to wake Kaden up! Finally at 7:00 I told Jake that he could go wake him up! Jake was so excited he couldn't sleep all night (he is such a little Kid)! Jake and I didn't really get each other anything. Santa brought Kaden a couple of learning and Disney DVD's. Kaden loved opening the presents, he would grab a hold of the paper and Rip it open! He love the paper! It was so much fun for us to watch him have such a fun time!

After we got done with our family stuff we went over to Grandma & Grandpa Petersen's. We opened more presents-we got a fire pit, smores making kit, marshmallow/hot dog roasting sticks, and Kaden got a Membership to the Zoo which is awesome (I have been wanting to get one since we went the last time). We then got to eat a yummy breakfast-Christmas Casserole, and Monkey bread.

After breakfast we did poppers which is a family tradition, and then we played games.

After the Petersen's we went over to my mom's, She made Kaden the cutest stocking! I love that she gets us stockings, Christmas is not the same without them (I have a goal that next year I will have stocking for all of us, this has been a goal for the past 3 years! I have had all of the stuff and have started making them I just haven't finished!)

Jake and I got a really nice camp stove, two remote control cars, a couple of movies and Kaden got a bunch of toys. My mom said that this year she is going to start a tradition of making a gift for everyone, she made us all these fun ASU beanies. Kaden has a deceiving large head, she had to re-make his 3 times before she got one big enough to fit!

This was my favorite gift! On the tag it said "To Mommy & Daddy-From Kaden" I was shocked and was wondering what it could be! When I opened it and saw this plate I was so happy! Jake and I didn't even think about doing something cute with his hands & feet prints. My mom told me the story about them getting it done and I wish that I could have been there to see the mayhem! My Aunt Carrie was down from Utah with her two boys, they all went to make a wish with my mom to help her (so it was Mom, Carrie, Alex (16 years old), Walker (10ish, not quit sure) and Kaden). Kaden was not about to make this easy. It took all four of these people to get this plate done! They were able to get the first foot perfect, after that he was not going to have it! As you can see his second foot has six toes, and his hands were done twice the first one's ended up being blobs so the wiped them off as good as they could and tried it again! This is the end result- Isn't it perfect!

To end the the wonderful day we had the best tamales and enchiladas! It was a day great!

Christmas Card 2008

Petersen Family Bulletin

Seasons greetings! Once again another year has just flown by. We sent our last newsletter out in 2006 and set a goal to write one every year, well last year we just got too busy around Christmas and we also felt that we didn’t have anything exciting to write about. Well this year has been a little more exciting so we thought we would share it with you all.
As a family we have had a very busy year. There have been two college graduations this year, as well as, a new addition to the family.
Jake was very busy this year. He spent the summer preparing for the new baby and going to school. At the end of the summer he started an internship at a physical therapy clinic that eventually led to employment. He enjoys working as a tech and seeing people’s lives improve as they get better. He graduated this December with a degree in Exercise and Wellness. He has worked very hard the past few years as a college student and it has paid off he graduated suma kum laude a great academic honor. We are so proud of him and this great accomplishment. He has also applied to physical therapy school and hopes to be accepted for the Fall 2009 semester. We will keep you all informed.
Laura found out at the beginning of the year that she would be giving birth to our first son in early September. Even being pregnant Laura worked very hard at both her job and school. In May she graduated with a degree in Business Administration, this was a big accomplishment for her. At the end of the summer her hard work paid off and she got a promotion at work. Laura survived the long hot summer even though her belly continued to grow. In September she gave birth to our beautiful Kaden. She spent the next three months bonding and growing closer to him. She is now reluctantly back at work however, we are so proud of our new mommy and are appreciative of her and her willingness to work hard for this family, so that Jake can finish school.
Kaden was born on September 12 with a full head of hair, I mean tons of hair. This would prove to be his trade mark and is what every one knows him as. As my grandfather would say he is, “Kaden, the boy with the sticky up hair”. He is so much fun and has such a cute personality. He has a heart melting smile and smiles so much; it is the best smile in the world. He is also a very active little guy, he does not like to sit still, and he is constantly moving and always has to know what is going on. He loves to go for walks and at times it is about the only way we can calm him down. It is so much fun to watch him grow and learn we are so grateful that Heavenly Father has entrusted us with such a special spirit.
Also, this year Laura has gotten into blogging. This has been a great way to share pictures and keep the family up to date. Our blog address is jakeandlaurapetersen.blogspot.com if you haven’t already, go check it out and refer to it regularly. Laura updates it about once a week or so.
As you can see, we have had a busy and productive year. We look forward to the holiday season and impending New Year with brimming excitement. Each day we count our blessings and pray our fantastic voyage continues unabated. From our family to yours... Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Love,
Jake, Laura, and Kaden