One December Morning...

...I woke up and it was 50 degrees outside!?!

So, winter in Utah isn't much different than winter in (southeast) Idaho, except there tends to be more snow in the mountains...mostly. That, and snow storms (or even the mention of them) will shut down entire communities...mostly :)

L said to me the other day: Mom, if you want me to do that, then you have to give me a sucker first, or I won't be your little helper. Does that make you sad?

Yes, yes it does.

The other day, I asked Jordan to do something. He responded, "Oh, I thought you said ..."

Um...okay...I guess he's 10...

E refused to help L put away her laundry the other day because "she (L) hates me (E)."

And so it begins.

So, as you can see, our little ones are growing up. L is trying desperately to forge her place in our family, determined to no longer be "the baby." Even though she's the youngest, she will NOT be bossed around. And I'm learning that I can't just "tell her" to do something; it needs to be "her idea." She is soo her father's daughter :)

E is to the point in her little life where social connections, to her, make all the difference between a "good day" vs. an "awful day." That, my friends, is a daily struggle, trying to un-teach her what the world tries every day to shove in her face. And she's only eight. Sigh, one day at a time.

J, bless his heart, is the best big brother in two families. He can be so sweet and helpful and so patient with the girls. And then, he can be, well, an older brother. But, he's quick to apologize. This step-parent thing is awkward sometimes, but he has a big heart.

D has been keeping busy the last few months, driving truck for a company out of Logan. They send him all over the western states. Right now, he's on his way home from Phoenix, AZ. He's gone most of the week, but he usually gets to be home for the weekends and holidays. Nice. After we moved into our new place, before he went back to work, he was able to put up shelves in our garage. Just in time for the first snow, we were able to park BOTH cars in the garage! Yeah for no scraping windows!! :)

I've been keeping busy with laundry, baking, homework, work, and oh yeah! I'm the new Daisy and Brownie Girl Scout Troop Leader! :) Yup, they sucked me in...and it is so much fun! Yes, it's one more thing, but after our first meeting (it's at E's school), one of the Kindergarten girls (a Daisy) came up, gave me a hug and said, "You'll make the best leader." It was all I could do to not start bawling right there! Can you tell that to my daughter and her friends, please?? Thanks!
So, that's pretty much our life right now, a snap-shot into our daily lives as we know them today. I hope this note finds you all happy, healthy and enjoying the season of celebration of the birth of Our Saviour. Because of him, we have what we need.

All our Love and Joy to you,
The Peay Family

PS: Get Ready for GS Cookies!!