12-29-08

Happy New Year! Hope every had a great Christmas! The week started off a little busy...Reagan saw the audiologist on Tuesday but she had fluid in her ears and so off to the pediatrician we went that afternoon to try and get it cleared up. So we will have to see the audiologist again in a few weeks. We also checked on Cake's house while she was in Mexico. Wednesday was haircut day and the other appraisal on the work van bumper. It was also baking for our Christmas Eve dinner. We had Lois and Cleiburn and Kim over for dinner. After dinner the kids opened a few presents from Kim and Grandma and Grandpa and got to play for a bit. Then off to bed for the kids and Kim stayed to watch some of "The Office" while Gwen wrapped presents. It was a late night but Santa snuck into our house after mom and dad went to bed! We have done a little "creative parenting" with Reagan and it helped us Christmas morning. Reagan picked out her very own alarm clock a few months ago, but this alarm clock is not to wake her up, but is a sign of when she can come out of her room in the morning :-) (she gets up way too early so she just plays in her room or whatever until the alarm) So the alarm was set and we all got up at 7am. It seemed to be a "remote control" year. John got plenty of cars, Reagan got plenty of princess stuff and the kids and dad each got a remote control car (dad's was zero gravity and can go on the walls and ceiling). But the funniest thing of the morning was that Gwen and Jim got each other the exact same thing - a small coded safe!! It was pretty funny...great minds think alike???? or we've been married long enough to think alike... :-) The day was spent playing, eating and setting up the trampoline (in the rain) that we got from nana (thanks nana!) Friday was more playing and that night we went to Schnepf Farms with the Thornleys. It was super cold and the wind made it worse. We rode the train a couple of times and the carousel. Unfortunately it was too muddy to feed the reindeer so we had smores and cocoa around the bonfire. Saturday we did misc. and that night Jim went to Jaren's and Gwen watched a girl movie. Sunday was laziness again. We hope everyone is doing well and that you have a fun New Years! Love Jim Gwen Reagan and John

12-22-08

Yippeee! Only a few more days until Christmas and the kids are out of school and I haven't dared put any gifts under the tree yet! :-) This past week Gwen made an overdue trip to the dentist, everything looked OK except one thing (ugh) so off to the endodontist I go...ugh. That night Gwen started experiencing something she has never had...a UTI (ugh again). It was very painful and now she's on antibiotics and feeling much better. Wednesday night we babysat a couple of neighbor kids. It was good for the kids to play, although John and Reagan's friend Ian got into some pretty good little fist fights and Reagan tattling on Ian and Ian not obeying. It was so much fun, we decided to repeat it on Friday night with another family whose parents had a Christmas party :-) This time it was 3 girls and everyone played really well together (darts, clue and then a christmas show) and it was pretty late when their parents came. Saturday Jim and I decided we wanted to get away, so we found a babysitter and off we went. When we came home, her older brother was in the house and we could tell something was wrong. While we were gone, someone came to the door and she didn't recognize who it was so she didn't answer, they rang the bell again and she kind of opened it but then closed it and the guy was saying stuff like "hey in there...." and then he thought he heard someone say "come in" so he tried the door. Yes, our babysitter was freaked out! She called her dad to come over, put the kids in our bedroom and waited. We were not very happy about someone coming around like that and figured any of our friends would have called our cell phones. So Jim took his gun and walked around the house several times that night. Sunday at church after Sacrament meeting, our new neighbor stopped to tell Jim that he came by last night to get some help on something and at that same moment the babysitter walked by. Jim called to her and introduced her to our new neighbor and the guy from the night before! This is not an exaggeration - it really happened that way on Sunday. So it was a big relief that we knew who it was, but we feel so sorry for the babysitter - poor girl. She's the same one that we had when John locked everyone out of the house! Guess we better increase her pay or something to keep her happy :-) Sunday was the Petersen Christmas party and it was fun. Hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas! Be safe and we love you all! Jim Gwen Reagan and John p.s. John's funny for the week: he took his tricycle on a walk and every few seconds he stopped, got off and touched all of the tires, saying "psssst" like putting air in them. It was funny! All boy!

12-14-08

Happy Winter! We are getting rain and have had clouds and it's so nice to finally feel like we have a "winter" (OK, by AZ standards). This past week was long...Tuesday Gwen baked a little and had Webelos and that night we went to the viewing for Laura's dad. Wednesday grandma babysat while we went to the funeral, it was a nice service and Laura read a beautiful poem that she had written. Afterwards Jim went to the graveside in west Phoenix while Gwen went to the church to set up a luncheon for the family. The luncheon was nice and gave the kids a chance to be together again. They really like Laura's kids Josh (16 yrs) and Zack (8 yrs). That night John threw up pretty good (flu or too many cookies from the luncheon?) Thursday I just can't remember except taking dinner to someone who had surgery and Friday Jim got into a fender-bender in Tucson (not his fault). He got hit from behind by a flatbed towtruck. Gwen sure is grateful he was in the big van! He got home late that night and Gwen had taken the kids to the temple lights to give him some time at home alone. The kids were everywhere and there were a ton of people, so it wasn't that fun. We also went to visit grandma and grandpa so that was a treat. That night Reagan threw up more than imaginable. Gwen had to shampoo her hair twice - ugh! So Saturday we didn't do much, but Jim went to a memorial service for his aunt and then we did a few errands. Sunday we had church and kids were well. Afterwards we went to Cake's to see the Thornley kids and then to the temple lights with Laura and her family. We are so grateful for our friends and family - Thanks for all you do! Have a good week. Love Jim Gwen Reagan and John p.s. we have been watching "Frosty the Snowman" at least twice a day, every day...anyone jealous? p.p.s. we also watched "Santa Claus is coming to town" and while Reagan was going to bed, she said to Jim, "Dad, I didn't know Santa Claus' name was Kris Crandell!" (she's Gwen's cousin) It was pretty funny - guess it's a good thing we are going to see the audiologist next week...chau!

12-7-08

Happy December all! This past week we enjoyed some cooler weather and put up the Christmas tree. Tuesday was the norm of Webelos for Gwen and Elder's Quorum for Jim. Thursday Gwen babysat two boys from the ward and it went longer than expected (their dad was getting his wisdom teeth extracted and their mom was with him) so Gwen picked up the babysitter for the Petersen kids and she was kind enough to watch the other boys until their parents were done. Jim and Gwen went to a Scouting dinner, where Gwen's Webelos leader got an award. And as an extra bonus, our friend Joe Aposhian was there with his family and he got a couple of awards, one being the "Silver Beaver" which is a pretty big deal. Saturday morning we had our ward Christmas party breakfast. It was long, but pretty good. Santa came (he doesn't usually come to our Christmas parties) and the kids really enjoyed it. Lately Reagan and John have been obssessed with "The Grinch who Stole Christmas" (Jim Carey version) and one of the newer guys in the ward was asked to sing, "You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch" at the party and she kept telling him to sing it "really mean"! He did a great job and when he was done, asked Reagan if it was mean enough and she matter-of-factly replied, that "no" it hadn't been mean enough :-) That afternoon Reagan helped Jim at Grandma and Grandpa's with some stuff and John went with Cake and Gwen to a holiday boutique Stephanie was doing with her pampered chef. That night Jim got pretty sick and everyone was in bed early except for Gwen who really enjoyed the quiet time and even got the floor mopped! Sunday was church and laziness since Jim was still feeling yuckky. The countdown is on and kids are wound up. Hope everyone is well. Love Gwen Jim Reagan and John

11-30-08

Hello! Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! It was a busy week, starting out by waiting for a candy order and then we had a little family activity by going to a new bounce place. The kids had a great time and daddy even joined in the fun on the biggest bounce slide :-) And we all ended up with rug burns. Only one other family was there so it was fun to have free reign. That night daddy was in charge while Cake and Gwen went to their next gun class. It was later at night and alot more shooting involved, so we were tired. Tuesday was Webelos, Reagan playing with the new neighbor girl and Jim's church night. Wednesday Reagan had a Thanksgiving party at school and Gwen did errands getting ready to go. We visited with grandma and grandpa and then packed. Thursday the Thornley's came to the house and we drove to Maricopa, then parted ways. We visited with Laura's dad and family and then headed to Yuma. We checked into our tiny room and then met up with everyone for dinner. The kids all had a great time playing together and did well overall. Friday was the greatest relaxing day. Having Thanksgiving dinner (yes, a day later) at the church was so wonderful! We mostly stayed in the gym/kitchen. Lots of ball games happened, the little bouncer was set up and the wii was in the adjoining room. We did crafts, watched little girls put on ballet shows and ate and rode scooters and visited. that night after leftover dinner, we watched Kungfu Panda in the carpeted gym and took sleeping kids back to the room. Saturday we headed to the camel farm and saw some fun animals. Then off to the "castle" park for lunch and then back to our rooms for some down time. Again we met up for dinner and playing and recording of Hurdsman memories. The in-laws may find it fun to listen to. Sunday we had the blessing of Bonnie and she looked adorable in her dress and it was a very nice, spiritual meeting. The kids did well on their song "I Am A Child Of God" and we had a wonderful breakfast back at the Boysuns. Then off to church and then the Petersens took off and got settled back in at home. It was so much fun and we were glad to see everyone and let the cousins play nonstop! Thanks to Rog and Hilary and all that they did! Have a safe week and happy December! Love Jim Gwen Reagan and John

11-24-08

Hi all! Well, Gwen was on-call this past week and Jim was busy with work as usual. Wednesday Nana flew in but we didn't see her until that night. Reagan and John just couldn't understand how Nana could be "here" but not at our house! :-) Reagan had her soccer party that night and Nana came. It was at a park and the kids loved it! It was hard to get everyone to leave. Gwen did some visiting teaching during the week and some babysitting too. Friday nana came over and we got Reagan from school then Nana went clothes shopping while the kids were entertained at the petshop, watching dogs get haircuts and workers handle lizards. Saturday was Reagan's last soccer game, she had a good time this season and she had a great coach which made it even better. Sunday was the primary program and then lazy afternoon. We had Cake and Steve over for dinner and the car switch and then it was a date with the TV, "24" after the kids were in bed. Monday we sent nana on her way to Yuma. We are looking forward to seeing those going to Yuma and we'll miss the rest of you. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! Love Jim Gwen Reagan and John

11-17-08

Hi all! Well we are all feeling better, so that's the best news of the week. Monday the kids had doctor's appt to check them, all is well, just have to work through the bugs. We also had pictures that day...what a hassle. Tuesday Cara and Gwen went for facials, it was sooooooo nice! Then we went to the parade, picked up stranded Jim, and then rushed home for Gwen to have a Webelos fieldtrip. That night Jim did church stuff. Between van problems and Jeremy taking the week off, Jim didn't work too much. On Wednesday he helped our friends, the Stevens (tree guy) with a major electrical project. It took him all day so Gwen took the kids to soccer practice. Thursday Jim let Gwen sleep in a little and get to the gym and then he was off to work a little and go visit a dying man (his friend Laura's dad) and he lives in Maricopa so it was a bit of a drive. It was a long day for him and Jim will be helping with the funeral when it happens. Friday I don't remember except Jim had to finish up the Stevens electrical project. Saturday we had soccer game and Jim did some service. That night Gwen and Cara had an intro to firearms class, it was a good class and we're both glad we did it. Sunday was the usual chaos. Hope everyone has a good week and we are really looking forward to the Thanksgiving craziness!! :-) Love, Jim Gwen Reagan and John

11-10-08

Hey all! We are enjoying some cooler weather, although sickness has hit the Petersen home so we haven't enjoyed it as much as we would like. Gwen felt pretty yucky all week and finally got to the doctor to find that a sinus infection had turned to a worse infection, so on the antibiotics she goes...Tuesday was voting (we are having a tough time swallowing the presidential results, but happy about the marriage ammendment) and Jim's church night. Wednesday was soccer night and Thursday - who knows? Gwen and the kids went to the park a couple of times and the kids enjoyed riding bikes in the driveway a few times. Saturday was soccer game, birthday shopping, and date with Jim for Gwen's birthday. Gwen was feeling pretty yucky on her birthday and then Jim got food poisoning from dinner out that night. Sunday Gwen and kids stayed home from church (coughs, runny noses) and Jim suffered through church not feeling well. We stayed in all day. As Gwen was going to bed on Sunday night, she checked in on John and he was unable to breathe, it was pretty scary, he was panicking making it worse, so off to the ER Gwen and John went. He was diagnosed with croup, given a breathing treatment and steroid shot and we got home at 3am. So the sick week wasn't very fun, hopefully we are nearing the end. Hope everyone is well. Thanks for all of the birthday calls, cards, etc. It's fun to hear from you...Have a great week. Love Jim Gwen Reagan and John

11-3-08

Whewwwwwww! We are glad this week is over! Well, it pretty much started with John's birthday last week because the kids have been on a continual high. Now we have celebrated both birthdays and Halloween and hopefully we get a little break from the madness until Thanksgiving! Monday Jim had a followup with the orthopedic doctor. So far so good on the knee shots and anti-inflammatories. But mostly he was thrilled to get dr.'s permission for a handicap placard for the car, yes, I know....We also set up new business accounts at a new bank and took Jim's van in for some work. Wednesday was a little busy and the kids were crazy. Reagan was pretty disobedient so she had to choose between Trunk or Treat that night or Halloween. She chose Trunk or Treat. It was fun for the kids, but they ate so much junk and were pretty hyper. Happy Birthday to Hilary on that day too. Thursday Reagan was so excited for her birthday, I knew I had to put up the decorations the night before, including streamers! We gave her the main gift before school, a razor. She rode it to school but not before wiping out pretty good on it. That night we had cake and ice cream with Cake and Steve and presents. She was thrilled with her gifts and she decorated her own princess cake. Friday Jim took the day off so Gwen volunteered in Reagan's class. It was MAYHEM!!! The little kids got to vote for President. Gwen had Reagan and luckily she voted the "right" way or she may have not been able to come home that day :-) and they had a Halloween party and it was total craziness, glad I could go and help. Friday night we got pizza and handed out candy before going to see grandma at the police station. John was so hyped up from sugar, we've never seen him cruise around the police station like that! Saturday we had Reagan's soccer game, cake came, and Reagan scored a goal. Meanwhile, Jim was hitting every store in the valley to get discounted halloween suckers for his business. That night Jim and Gwen had a date and Sunday we went to Stake Conference broadcast with the Thornley's. We went into a side room to listen and thought we would be alone - nope! We had a room full of kids and families, which was just fine. The Thornleys invited us over for lunch and it was fun for the kids to play together. Now another week and it's November. We are FINALLY supposed to cool down this week, but at least the winter grass is planted. Have a great week everyone! Love, jim gwen reagan and john GO VOTE! And seriously pray that AZ and CA pass their marriage propositions!

10-27-08

Whew are we glad last week is over! Monday was John's birthday and Reagan was soooooo excited! She got up early and we put up the decorations. She also decorated his birthday cake all by herself! with sprinkles and toy dinosaurs and palm trees, that were on blue water and white sand :-) We opened presents that night with Cake and Steve and he had a great time and got some fun boy toys. Thanks for calls and gifts! Tuesday both kids had well visits. they did OK although my tough Reagan freaked out at shot time, but luckily the nurse was so quick she didn't even know that it had been done! Wednesday was soccer practice, Thursday we took Cake to the airport, Friday we had a wedding reception for one of our favorite YSA. Saturday Gwen took the kids to Reagan's soccer game while Jim prepped the yard for winter grass. He spent a good portion of the day planting the grass and then went to his brother's for the evening while Gwen prepped for Sunday. Kids were not very good on Sunday and that evening we had Petersens over for family dinner and a mini family party for the kids' birthdays. They were so grouchy at bedtime so they didn't even get their baths, we just wanted them in bed!!! The week seemed long and Gwen had a very busy work week with phones and for the second time the pool broke and emptied out about a foot of water from the pool. And the bank messed up on one of Jim's business accounts and we had to take the hit, which was not nice, so we are changing banks on Monday. Hope this week is better, it sure is busy. Have a fun Halloween everyone! Love, Jim Gwen Reagan and John
p.s. just a little sidenote. Jace is now working for Volkswagen instead of GM and one of his perks is he gets to drive a new model car for several weeks and write a report on it. He just got his first car, a sporty two door 2009 Audi ($55K). He took us for a ride and it's great all of the gadgets. But the coolest is that you can set the distance you want between you and the car in front of you. So if you put on cruise control, the car will automatically speed up to that speed, but if you come up on a car, it will automatically slow down when you get to the preset distance, and it will do it quickly too. it has the backup monitor and a gauge to show you when to stop to be a safe distance. Anyway, just some fun things, and he might even get to drive Porsches! and Bentleys!

10-20-08

Hi all! Hopefully Rog and Hilary are adjusting to their new life! Happy Birthday Ellie - hope the ballerina party was fun! This past week was pretty busy and now I can't remember most of Monday. I know it was busy because I remember rushing to get dinner to Kris Crandell Martinez. Tuesday the kids got to play with my visiting teachers kids since we took the Webelos to the Dinosaur museum. It was much better that way - one of my boys has the shortest attention span!!! Actually I'm surprised he remembered to even come! Wednesday was parent teacher conference and Reagan is doing really well. She is so "quiet and good" in class that I'm pretty sure we were talking about a different kid - We are glad she is good in school though! That night was soccer practice and Jim continued to work nonstop. Reagan was out of school wed-fri so we just hung out and did errands, getting ready for Pinedale. Thursday night Cara watched the kids while we went to ward temple night. We were going to drive to pinedale that night but chickened out, so we stayed home and watched "the office" (just not that funny this week) and we slept in our own bed. Friday morning we left and got to Pinedale about noon - just in time for the truck of rock to be delivered. Jim was anxious to get that done with winter coming because that mudd is just unbearable! So we received the truck of rock, then went to town and ate and got a few misc things. That night Jim hauled rock and he did that all day Saturday while we hung out in the cabin (sadly we could only help a little since there were wasps everywhere!) Sunday we attended the local ward and we will not be visiting that ward again - not one person said anything to us. Jim was pretty disgusted - from the missionary view point. We got home and put kids to bed and now it's another week. Hope everyone is well, we love you all! Jim Gwen Reagan and John

10-12-08

Congratulations Rog and Hilary! Bonnie is a cutie! She'll get her cheeks squeezed alot! Hope all is going well for the Hurdsmans at home and that Hilary is recovering well. Monday Jaren and Jennie invited us to go see "An American Carol". It was silly in parts but we liked the subtle political jokes. We also had a candy order come that day. Tuesday was Jim's EQ night and Gwen put kids down early. Wednesday Reagan was out of school early and then off for the rest of the week for "fall break". Thursday after Gwen did baptisms at the temple (thanks Cara for babysitting) Gwen took the kids to Schnepf Farm and met Kim there. If any of you ever come to visit us in fall/winter, this is a great place to go. It is unlimited kid amusement rides, petting farm, playground, dunebuggy races in a hay maze, pig races, slide, hay ride and fireworks and food at night. It was a really hot day but we had fun. Friday was a bad mommy day. John destroyed Gwen's glasses and finally it was cooling off so Gwen took the kids to the school to ride bikes. Then Gwen was off to Costco to deal with the glasses problem. Saturday Jim took the kids and Gwen went to the grocery store. That afternoon we hung around and then went to see the progress on Cake's painting. Sunday was OK, except for the poopy diaper incident at church. If you want to know, keep reading, if not, stop here...Right before the sacrament, John announced he was "gingky" so we left the chapel. I stayed close to take the sacrament and John ran down the hall. I went to go get him at the end of the hall and as I leaned to pick him up, a little turd dropped down from his pants onto the floor! I was humiliated! I hurriedly scooped the "thing" with a wipe, praying no one saw this. I picked john up and headed to the mother's room. His diaper had come undone and it was on his pants. So I went to get the keys in the bag and he ran in with his shoes, shirt and diaper! I grabbed him and we headed home to make a change. Ugh! Hope everyone is well and has a good day! Yippeee! We can finally open windows and doors!!! Love Jim Gwen Reagan and John

10-5-08

Hi all! Again, the week was a blur...oh where does the time go? Monday was the normal errands day. Tuesday we waited for a candy order and then it was Webelos day. We did mini pizzas on the grill, but while we were getting the pizzas ready inside, the grill caught fire and there were flames coming out of it and smoke everywhere!! well the pizzas turned out toastier and we had to try a second go around! Jim had presidency meeting that night also. Wednesday was Reagan's soccer practice. Thursday the kids got much needed haircuts and then we went to a new bounce place. It had a few big bounces and a really big climbing net (?) with slides. It was fun cuz "mom" could play too. This was the reward for Reagan earning two months of "green marks" at school. Thursday kids got ready for bed and as soon as Jim got home, Gwen ran to Round Table for Scouts. Friday Reagan went to play with a friend and John and Gwen had the brakes checked before our trip to Pinedale. Friday night Gwen and Jim had a date and then Saturday morning Reagan had soccer pictures and a game. Luckily it was cloudy and windy so it was really nice outside. Right after her game we loaded the van and headed to Pinedale. We had alot of rain and of course that means terrible pinedale mud. Do you Hurdsmans remember the Pinedale mud????? I remember at the first reunion there that the kids would walk around in it and see who could get the most inches of mud on their flip flops. Kind of like platform shoes! "Poppa" and "Tamma" and Rachel joined us at the cabin. Saturday night Jim and Steve went to Priesthood and Gwen and the kids went to the crandell cabin to let the kids play together. They loved Aunt Carolyn's dressup stuff! Sunday the Thornleys came over and we all watched Conference together. It was a nice afternoon. We headed home about 7pm (intentionally) so the kids would fall asleep on the drive. Jim and Gwen haven't had that much quiet to talk in a long time!! Hope all is well...looking forward to hearing about a new baby Hurdsman....Love, Jim Gwen Reagan and John

9-28-08

Hi all! This past week seemed to really drag by...Monday we watched Noah Smith while Kris had parent/teacher conferences at school. Tuesday we waited all day for a mexican candy order and guess what?? never came. Tuesday was also Webelos and Jim's Presidency meeting. Wednesday Gwen went to the cannery and then home to eat and to the gym and Jim and kids went to soccer practice for Reagan. Thursday was declared TV night for "the office" and friday was the pres. debate. Saturday Jim had an Elder's Quorum service morning and then Gwen and kids headed to Reagan's soccer game. I am so sick of this heat! It was over 100 degrees at the game! Poor girls. After that we stayed close to home, except for a few errands. Sunday Jim had a FULL day of church stuff. That night we had the the four single guys that are new in the ward over for dinner. It was fun and the kids and them had fun together. Then off to Cake's for dessert and it was fun to have a visit with them. Now, let's get rid of this heat and enjoy Conference weekend!! Chau! Gwen Jim Reagan and John

9-22-08

Hello all! Monday we waited for a candy order and Tuesday we waited again for a candy order. Reagan went to play with a classmate that lives near by and then that night Gwen and Jim went and did sealings while the kids played with Cake. Wednesday after Reagan got out of school we went to the Scout Shop and finally got Gwen a Webelos shirt. Next we wandered around the Bass Pro Shop and even got some food to feed the trout in the stream. Love those free, air-conditioned things for kids' entertainment! That night was soccer practice for Reagan, and Jim later that night got the pinewood derby track to set up for the EQ party. Thursday Jim was in Tucson so after Reagan got out of school we took the van to the shop to have the door locks re-fixed (the doors wouldn't unlock with the remote or the key - so Reagan had to climb in the back of the van to unlock it for mom) so we hung out at grandma's for a few hours. Then the kids went to cake's while mom headed to the gym. Friday morning Gwen watched 2 boys older/younger than John. They had a great time playing. That afternoon Reagan played with her classmate again and we had to go get Jim at the shop because the starter went out on his work van (I'm pretty sure the mechanics pay their mortgage with our business! but the vans are payed for so we're going to hang in there) Friday night was the EQ Pinewood Derby. It was a smaller turnout than Jim had hoped for but two men came that he didn't expect to see, so it was good. Saturday morning was Reagan's game and it was HOT outside!!! They did really well, except for the half when they changed sides and Reagan kept shooting at the same goal - at least she didn't score! :-) Sunday was church and that night we went to Carolyn's for dinner and to visit with Aunt Jan. She had some fun things to show us and it was good to see all of the cousins. Hope everyone is well, please start blowing your cold air our way!!!!!!!!! Love Jim Gwen Reagan and John

9-14-08

Hi Hurdsmans! Well, we are finally starting to see a difference in our morning weather. We still aren't to the point of opening doors and windows in the morning, but we are getting closer - I can't wait! Monday was the typical errand work day for Jim, Tuesday we had Webelos and Jim's presidency meeting. Wednesday was Reagan's soccer practice and she also had a friend come play earlier in the day. Thursday was Enrichment and Gwen actually went (to be perfectly honest, it was more about getting away from the kids than the actual Enrichment...I'm pretty sure some moms can relate to that!) Friday as Gwen was making dinner we learned of someone that needed dinner so we doubled the batch and took care of that then off to Jim's nephew's wedding reception. It was sure crowded (luckily Gwen didn't get any work calls), we were able to see some of Jim's family we don't see often and the cake was super yummy! We stopped to see Cake afterwards to wear the kids out. Saturday we were supposed to be in 3 different places at the same time so unfortunately the phone bank for the marriage prop had to be left to others. Jim took the kids to Reagan's soccer game and Gwen had Boy Scout Training. Gwen's still feeling a little in over her head with this scouting stuff. Reagan had a great time at soccer. They play 45 min games with lots of little breaks. They play 3 on 3 and don't have a goalie. Reagan scored one goal and assisted on another, Jim thinks they won but there wasn't any real score keeping. Saturday afternoon/night was misc, getting ready for church. Sunday Jim taught EQ and Gwen sub'd in primary with a very wild group! Sunday afternoon we had dinner at Jaren's house and the kids had fun playing and the adults talked politics. Hope everyone has a great week! Love, Jim Gwen Reagan and John

9-7-08

Hi family! Hope everyone had a good Labor Day. The kids needed to get out of the house that day so we went and visited Cake at her house. Then we had Cake and Steve over for BBQ hot dogs cause none of us wanted to make dinner :-) Tuesday was back to the routine, Webelos for Gwen and Presidency mtg for Jim. Wednesday we made dinner for a family in the ward who just had a new baby and then off to Reagan's soccer practice. It will be fun to see these girls play their first game. Thursday Jim was in Tucson and Gwen and the kids went to the Dinosaur museum after Reagan got out of school. It was so nice because there was hardly anyone there (everyone was still in school) so the kids ran around freely. We were even the only ones in the "panning for gold" and they loved it and got really wet of course! We got Arby's on the way home and had a "picnic" on the kitchen floor. Friday Reagan went to school and had Grandma come to school for a special Grandparents Day. It was fun and together they made a colored noodle necklace and a decorated framed picture of Reagan. Right after school we headed to Pinedale. The work on the brick skirting has begun so we didn't have a porch which was kind of a bummer but the mosquitos were bad so we weren't out much after dark anyway. We dumped our stuff at the cabin and headed to the lake where we went fishing again. Reagan caught two little fish all by herself (Jim didn't touch the line until she had pullled it out of the water) and Jim caught another good sized one. Then to dinner and home. Saturday morning Cake and Steve came and we all went to the soccer games of Stockton and Reagan. It was fun to watch them and then everyone hung out at the cabin. All of the kids had a great time playing and everyone, including adults, played kick the can until dusk. Sunday the Thornleys went back to Pinetop/Mesa and Petersens headed home a little later. Now it's back to the routine. Just to let it be known, the Petersens are now more excited about this Presidential race - it's going to be an interesting couple of months. Have a great week everyone! Love, Jim Gwen Reagan and John

9-1-08

Hi Hurdsmans! So it's September now, is our weather going to automatically drop 20 degrees??? I wish....

Monday Jim had another appt. with the ortho to review knee x-rays. Jim will continue with shots, anti-inflammatories and the knee brace until he can't stand it anymore and then the knee replacement will happen. He got fitted for a VERY expensive knee brace that afternoon. Tuesday was Webelos for Gwen, back-to-school night for Jim, Pres mtg for Jim and Gwen had some of the YSA girls over for ice cream sundaes before they went their different ways to school (BYU and NY). It was fun - we had such a good YSA group. Wednesday Gwen and John did errands, then kids went to grandma's while Gwen went to the cannery. Just as we were loading up to go to grandma's the mexican candy truck showed up that was supposed to come the next day. Guess I'm glad I was still there. Anyone who served in central, south america may understand my frustration with scheduling...no language barrier, just cultural. That night was Reagan's first soccer practice. She loved it! It will be good exercise for my rowdy girl. Thursday I just don't remember except for the crazy monsoon we had. We have never seen anything like it. Imagine hearing thunder rumbling and seeing lightning across the whole sky for 30-45 minutes NONSTOP! We were glad the kids were in bed. It was kind of erie. You could stand on the driveway and watching the lightning cross the whole sky around us! Friday Gwen had webelos pack mtg. Not too long thank goodness. Saturday Jim worked around the house, Gwen tried to keep up with the kids and now it's another week. Happy September everyone! Love, Jim Gwen Reagan and John

8-25-08

Hello! Well, the Petersen's had a pretty good week, with a bit of bad news mixed in...Monday Jim went to the Orthopedic doctor after his knee had really been bothering him. He learned that a knee replacement is in the near future :-( He is going to get some helps like anti-inflamatory meds and a special brace and he is going to hang on as long as possible. Also on Monday, Reagan was home sick from school so it was a different kind of day.

Tuesday Gwen started up with Webelos again, she just isn't into the groove yet with this calling. Wednesday Reagan finished school for the day and we headed to Pinedale with grandma and grandpa Petersen. We got settled that night and enjoyed the Olympics on TV. Thursday morning we got up and all went fishing at Fool's Hollow Lake near Show Low. The kids were rowdy and we didn't get any nibbles, so we headed out because everyone was tired (especially grandpa). We ate lunch and took a break and then we headed back to the lake with the kids, leaving grandpa and grandma to enjoy some quiet time. We went to a different dock and it was perfect! Jim caught the first fish, Reagan caught her's and then Jim caught the same catfish twice! (we could see the previous hook injury on it). The kids had a great time and we are really happy they got to experience that. We even had a family of ducks come see us at the dock so the kids fed them all of our crackers and then John was sure they needed a drink so he grabbed Gwen's water jug and started to give them a drink. It was adorable. Here are some pictures - unfortunately we forgot the camera so these are from our phones.

Friday morning we headed to Snowflake. We walked around the temple and saw lots of lizards and then we had lunch and went to visit some of Grandma's friends nearby. It was a good afternoon. When we headed to Show Low again Reagan mentioned she didn't feel good, being the drama queen that she is, we didn't pay much attention. Well, luckily Gwen was in back with her and had 2 bags handy because she caught most of what came up and saved Grandma's van! We figure it was food poisoning from lunch because she was completely fine after that. That night after kids were in bed, the big kids played Aggravation ("marbles") and had a great time. Lois was a complete ham trying to mess Cleibe up on his turn!

Saturday we got up and did laundry and left about noon to head home. We got back into the heat and jumped into the pool while the house cooled down (93 degrees). Now it's back to reality. Hope everyone is well, have a great holiday weekend!

8-18-08

Hello Hurdsmans! Well the big event for the week was that school started on Monday, August 11th! Reagan was so excited that she did just as her teacher said at Meet the Teacher...go to bed early the night before and get up early the day of school. And she was up early....too early! Gwen and John walked Reagan to school and she was amazed at all of the kids! She loved it and has received a green mark (a good day) every day of school. Tuesday Gwen and John waited for a candy order and then had a Webelos meeting. Wednesday night Gwen had a RS/YW class on personal safety, it was good but made for a paranoid Gwen:-) Friday morning Jim headed off to Pinedale with Jaren's family for the night. They went up to work on some things that needed to be done. Jim had fixed Reagan's bike the night before so of course she HAD to ride it to school on Friday. We'll have to get into that routine, it's still kind of hot so it will be so nice to walk/ride when it is cooler. Gwen and John ran errands and then picked Reagan up from school, with John riding his tricycle. The ride to the school went fine, but home took us what seemed like a million years. We spent some time in the pool and unfortunately the big umbrella and it's 50 lb concrete stand all blew into the pool while we were in it (this is the second umbrella we have lost this way - ugh). Gwen and Reagan were able to get the stand out of the pool and then off to Cake's house we went for a bit. That night we had a "picnic" with takeout and we tried to play around alot that day, hide and seek are one of the favorites. Oh and moving Reagan's bed and doing gymnastics on it. Saturday we hung around home since Gwen was on-call. Jim got home that afternoon and we went and played BB at the church gym. Sunday was the norm. We are all glad to have Jim back and are looking forward to all going to Pinedale next weekend for a family vacation with "Poppa" and "Ta-ma". We have all really enjoyed the Olympics this week too. Hope everyone is well. Love, Gwen Jim Reagan and John
p.s. unfortunately the Petersen kids are perfecting the art of fighting :-(

8-11-08

Hello! Last week seemed to drag on and go fast at the same time...Jim did his church work and Gwen waited around for a candy order on Tuesday and the new bed on Wednesday - it's so nice! We are really enjoying it and luckily Jim's back started feeling better almost immediately. It is a bit high though so John has had to practice climbing on it since it is the favorite jumping spot of course! Wednesday night we had a wedding reception for one of Bishop Cooley's kids and Thursday Jim was in Tucson and the van had serious problems. So after the grocery store trip the kids stayed in. That night Gwen went to her first Scouting Roundtable, interesting...and too long. It's a whole new world and I'm feeling a bit awkward about the whole thing. Thursday afternoon we also went to "Meet the Teacher" for Reagan. Our fearless Reagan was a bit overwhelmed! But she supposedly has the best teacher in the school. Friday we stayed home (no van) and got mommy ready for her getaway to Yuma (yippee - the kids stayed with dad!) That night Cara and Gwen headed to Yuma and got there about 10pm, knocked on the wrong door and felt silly then found the hurdsmans, all playing Wii. Saturday morning we had a super breakfast and the girls headed to the baby shower and the boys went swimming in the complex pool. The shower was fun, Katie (Hilary's little sister) was in charge and she did a really good job. Hilary/Bonnie scored on the gifts. I have never seen anyone get sooooooooooo many hats!!! Then it was home to lunch, to Boysuns for ice cream and then games, dinner and leaving for home. It was such a fun getaway and to see the yuma and CA hurdsmans. Sydney sure is growing up! Jim took the kids for icee's Friday night (got the van running for a bit) and then Saturday they played in the pool and misc. Sunday was church and FHE to prepare Reagan for school on Monday morning. Hope everyone is well, love Jim Gwen Reagan and John

8-4-08

Hello all! Well it's August and for us that means school will be starting soon (yippee! Reagan will be in pre-K) and it also means we are more than half way through our lovely summer in AZ :-)

This past week we had Nana in AZ and it was alot of fun. Monday we had the Petersen's over for Aunt Rachel's birthday and we kind of kidnapped mom so she wouldn't leave. It was fun and the cousins always like playing together. Tuesday morning we all got in the pool and it was fun to just relax and enjoy a little bit of coolness outside. Gwen finished off her VT for the month and Nana spent a good portion of the week with Cara. Friday the Petersens, Nana and Cara (steve was sick) went to dinner and enjoyed a night out. Saturday Cake took Nana to the airport and Gwen and kids got in the pool while Jim was doing a service project. Then it was just a day of cleaning and misc. To get out of the house we went looking at beds. The bed has really been bothering Jim's back every night so a change has been in the works. We hit 2 stores and at the second we found a GREATLY discounted bed that just needs some hand sewing on the seam at one part. Hopefully this will do the trick for Jim's back. Sunday was meetings and the usual. Hope everyone is well and have a great week! Love, Jim Gwen Reagan and John

7-27-08

Hello Hurdsmans! This past week Gwen and the kids went to see Nana in Brigham City. I was hoping it would be considerably cooler, but no such luck! We were about 103 most days although the evenings were nice. Unfortunately I was struggling to get the kids to bed at a decent hour but it never worked! Finally Nana told Reagan that the sun doesn't know how to tell time in UT (daylight savings time). Monday Jim dropped us off and the kids did pretty good on the plane, John fell asleep as we were landing and Reagan REALLY had to go to the bathroom before we got off the plane but luckily she made it to the airport bathroom! We spent the afternoon on Temple Square and then headed to nana's house to see Jake. Tuesday morning Gwen and kids went to 2 parks and then lunch and off to The Bay with Uncle Jake and some of his friends. It was fun and Reagan loved the tube - John and Gwen tried it but he freaked out. Wednesday we hit the dinosaur park and of course the adults were ready to leave before the kids were. John loved feeding the ducks and Reagan loved the moving dinosaurs inside the museum. Thursday we headed to Logan for the 24th parade. It was so much fun and the kids loved playing in the irrigation water that was running down the gutters. Then it was off to Sam's and home where we did some fireworks that night. Friday Jake and Gwen took the kids to the city pool. Reagan was nonstop on the slide and even did several turns on the diving boards! John was happy to sit and play and go on the little slide. After that it was prepping to come back to AZ. We flew in Saturday afternoon - thank goodness Nana was along to help! Saturday evening we went to Noah Smith's birthday party and then off to Thornley's for a BBQ. It was a lot of fun and of course the kids love being together, Reagan couldn't wait to see them! Thornley's have the entertaining house now! Sunday was church and then a pretty mellow day. We hope everyone is well, love jim gwen reagan and john
p.s. jim worked, iced his foot and enjoyed the quiet!!!!

7-20-08

Hi all! This past week seemed a little busier than normal. Monday Reagan went in for a followup on her waffle iron burn. The doctor said it was doing very well but Reagan was disappointed when the doctor said no swimming for two days. Monday also Jim went to the doctor, his foot had been bothering him and wasn't getting better, so now it has been determined he has a stress fracture on his foot. So Gwen is trying to be bossy and telling him to sit and ice it as often as possible. That night we had the Petersen dinner at our house and it was good to see everyone again, we had kind of gotten out of the habit of monthly dinners since Lois' work schedule had changed. Funny how we don't see them all much and we live in the same city! This week we continued with swimming lessons. pretty sure John had a crush on his teacher because he couldn't stop smiling when she came to help him and he would only float on his back for her! Speaking of John, his new game is to pretend he is asleep in his high chair :-) Also on Tuesday, Jim and Steve went to a Blues Traveler concert, this did not help the foot situation as it was standing room only! Wednesday Gwen and the kids went visiting teaching and thursday we watched the kids of someone she visit teaches while she had an ob/gyn appt. Friday Gwen and kids went bowling after visiting with Cake for awhile. Saturday we didn't do much since Gwen was on call. Now looking foward to a visit with nana. Hope everyone has a good week! love jim gwen reagan and john

7-13-08

Happy Birthday Jenn! Glad to hear that Bishop Dave could sneak home after church to enjoy the family time! This past week has been busy...Monday Gwen's van went right into the shop to have it's AC fixed, luckily Cara let us use her car that day and then Lois let us use her van until Thursday (we didn't expect it to take that long!) We are grateful for the help with vehicles this week! Also Jim got his windshield replaced and we started another week of swimming lessons (mom is getting worn out). Tuesday was Jim's church night, Wednesday Reagan had her last tumbling class for the summer, she loves doing the handstands against the wall - remember that girls? :-) Thursday we had a candy order come, swimming lessons and then drop kids off to grandma's so that Gwen could get her "real" fake tooth and some fillings done - ugh. Then we got our van back with nice cool AC. That night while fixing dinner, Reagan burned her finger on the waffle iron - it's a pretty good burn and so she can't get in the pool until we see the doctor on Monday. Friday Jim worked in Tucson and Gwen was supposed to have jury duty but it was cancelled. Thankfully, Cara was able to still babysit for a bit while Gwen got some things taken care of. Then we all hung out at Cara's pool for awhile. Saturday we went to IHOP for breakfast and Jeremy was there twisting balloons, then we had to run to grandma's and then to a baptism which was a complete hassle. It's a family Jim used to hometeach and someone had failed to notify the stake people of the baptism so the font was empty when we got there and the family didn't even arrive until the service was supposed to start. We really weren't suprised by this but it turned into a hassle for Jim. Right after that we went to a surprise birthday party for someone in the ward. It was fun but the kids were up past bed time and it showed! Sunday was pretty mello and now on to another week. Hope everyone is well, love jim gwen reagan and john

7-7-08

We hope everyone had a good holiday weekend! Monday Gwen and the kids started swimming lessons at the jr. high near our house. Gwen gets in with John and Reagan has her own class - the kids sure like it, but oh my, what work it is for mom. That night we had Harvey over for dinner and we just visited. Tuesday morning John saw his ENT doctor and everything looks good. His hearing test went well this time and so we don't see the doctor for 6 months. That afternoon Reagan went to a birthday party for a boy from preschool and church -it was held at a big bounce place and she had a blast. That night was Jim's church night and then Wednesday was tumbling for Reagan, along with the swimming lessons going on every day. Friday for the holiday Jim worked in Mesa and Gwen had the work phones so we really didn't go anywhere except to check on Cake's house while she was at Lake Powell. On the way there, the AC in the van went out and so we just decided to switch and take Cara's car while she was gone - lucky for us - July in AZ is no fun without AC!! That night we BBQ'd and had to trick Reagan into going to the fireworks. She loves to see them but last year was scared of the loud sounds they make. So we got into PJs, brushed teeth, got blankets and Jim put the "earcups" (big earcovers used when chainsawing) into the trunk and we took a "drive" and ended up at fireworks. Reagan loved the fireworks but did indeed wear the "earcups" again this year. John loved it - loud noises and all! Saturday Jim worked at his parents and Gwen and the kids got in the pool while she had a few hours break from work phones. Then we just played around the house. Church was church, Jim started at 8:30am and didn't finish until 6pm that night, longer than normal. It seemed like a long weekend, Jim going nonstop and Gwen with work phones (3 calls for gypsies this week). Hope everyone is well - love Jim Gwen Reagan and John

6-29-08

Hi all! This past week seemed to go by pretty quickly, and of course it was hot. Monday Gwen had her first ever root canal and now proudly displays a silver tooth :-) Until the crown comes in...boy, do I feel old. I really did have such good teeth ....all I can say is Thank Goodness for numbing agents!!!! Although I was pretty sore afterwards. Tuesday Jim had presidency meeting and Wednesday Reagan had tumbling and Gwen had to do a late night airport run to get Kim. Thursday Jim was in Tucson and Gwen and the kids just passed the time with pool, library, and waiting for a candy order etc. Friday I don't really remember but Saturday Jim got up early and met his brothers to paint the outside of his parents' house in preparation for selling it. He was there most of the day and he really started having problems with his knee again. That day Gwen and the kids went grocery shopping - ugh, this is no easy task with a four year old that wants everything and looks at everything. Then we watched Reagan and Stockton while Cara and Steve finished preparing for their Lake Powell trip. So me and kids got in the pool for awhile and they all had a good time. That night we got a babysitter and took Jim's nephew and soon-to-be fiancee to dinner as payment for doing the painting at Lois and Cleiburns (he owns a painting business and has all the equipment). it was nice to get out and now it's Sunday and we finally finished our series "John Adams". It was very interesting and so much we didn't know about our founding fathers. We hope everyone is well and that you all have a great 4th of July weekend - be safe! Love, Jim Gwen Reagan and John

6-23-08

It's HOT! This past week we celebrated Jim's birthday - we waited for a candy order and had our usual errand/work Monday. Reagan woke up very excited to decorate for daddy's birthday. Tuesday we waited for a candy order again and Wednesday was Reagan's tumbling. She was so proud to show us that she learned how to do a handstand up against the wall. And she has been intently watching and copying the gymnastic olympic tryouts! Thursday we went to the Dinosaur museum with the Thornley's. It was fun, but hot. that afternoon Gwen learned her chipped tooth would require a root canal - ouch! (my first one - I had such good teeth before kids came along!)Friday morning we watched one of Reagan's friends for a few hours. We got in the pool and had to get out when they about drowned each other by fighting over a toy. He sure knows how to push her buttons and she becomes a very emotional girl when he does. Saturday Jim helped Marta put up a shelf and Sunday was the normal day. Here's a funny story...Jaren (Jim's brother) was the only one working at the mortuary on Thursday during lunch when three young Christians walked in and asked if they could go in the back and "practice raising the dead"! He was tempted to bring out an empty urn and see what happened! Hope everyone had a good week and that mom is enjoying her vacation with the CA Hurdsmans.

6-16-08

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JIMMY! This past week seemed to fly by...Monday Jim was busy doing his work errands and Gwen, the kids and Cara met Roger and Hilary at the airport and they were on their way back home to Yuma. The kids were sorry they didn't get to stay longer so we could hear about their St. Louis trip. That night we had grandma and grandpa Petersen over for steak dinner to celebrate their 40th anniversary the day before! Tuesday Gwen got a babysitter and did some kidless errands :-) Wednesday was Reagan's tumbling and preparing for the rest of the week. Thursday was busy in the morning with errands and then that afternoon Cara took the kids to her house while Gwen went to Scout Day Camp! What an experience this was. Her feet have not been so sore/tired since her mission and it was HOT outside! Even though it was a long day, it was a good experience and will prepare me for when John does this. The boys get to do alot of great activities (BB guns, archery, swimming, crafts, sports, etc). It really is a great experience for the boys (I followed 3 webelos around :-) and I got home at 10:45pm that night. The next morning it was preparing for Pinedale. We left early afternoon and picked up Cleibe and headed north. We were happy to find that none of the pipes had frozen/burst during the winter and the evening weather was gorgeous! Friday night the Thornley's arrived and we all played wheel-of-fortune and had a fun time. Saturday morning we took Cleiburn to the Petersen reunion in Pinedale and then visited with Kris and Jamie at the Crandell cabin. We went back for grandpa and then headed back to the cabin. The Thornley's left that afternoon and we just relaxed and visited the Pinedale cemetery. Jim took a picture of his dad standing on his (future) grave and thought that was hilarious. We put the kids to bed that night and watched a movie. Sunday we got up and prepared to go home and relaxed a bit. We got home late afternoon and it was so hot!!! We were glad to be able to get away and grandpa loved sitting in the shade looking into the woods - he spent alot of time doing that. Wish we could bring some of that cool air back with us!

6-8-08

Hi all! Boy, we are glad that it's a new week - the last one was long/busy. Monday John had a dr. appt to make sure he had no ear infections, which he didn't. Then Cara watched the kids while Gwen had an eye exam to get new glasses since John almost destroyed hers. The kids had fun playing with the Thornleys. Tuesday morning gwen got some things ready for the Elders Quorum party that night while waiting to hear from Kim. She had her wisdom teeth pulled and thought she was going home to be alone, so I had her ride drop her at the house and she stayed here and slept, etc. Cara and the kids came and swam since their pool wasn't ready yet and that night we had the EQ BBQ at the park, then Reagan when with thornleys to steve's kickball game and then had a sleepover and Kim slept in Reagan's bed. Wednesday morning we were up early to take John for his tubes. It went pretty smoothly, although he was super cranky coming out of the anesthesia (apparently he gets this from Jim). We were home by 9am and Jim went to work and we started to see almost immediately that John could hear better because he was making different noises and listening to himself! Yippee! Wednesday Cara took Reagan to her summer tumbling class that Lyda Crandell is also going to. That afternoon gwen and the kids took kim home and I can't remember Thursday. Friday we took Kim to the airport and then SaturdayJim helped his brother and we just hung around home. Gwen had another superbusy work week and Jim had some extra church things to get done. and it's HOT! Hope everyone is well, love gwen jim john and Reagan