Josh's first baseball game

Josh and I joined Grandpa and Grandma Mills, along with Uncle Jord and Uncle Josh for a Rivercat's game. It was Josh's first time seeing a baseball game and he enjoyed it. I think he mostly enjoyed the food that came along with it peanuts, licorice, hot dog, and what else... cotton candy. The weather was perfect and the view was beautiful. We had a great time! Thanks Grandpa and Grandma!

McCain/Palin, they've got my vote!

I love it. I think McCain and Palin are the ticket. I wasn't overly thrilled with McCain at the beginning, but as time has gone on I have seen that I do not want Obama to be our president. Sarah Palin so far, has the values that I am looking for in a candidate. Here is what McCain said about her:
"She knows where she comes from, and she knows who she works for," McCain said in introducing her to an Ohio rally. "She stands up for what's right, and she doesn't let anyone tell her to sit down." He said: "She's exactly who I need."
Another quote read:
Palin is "a woman of faith who has a strong position on life, a consistent opinion on judges," Staver said. "She's the complete package."
I like it!

Our Preschooler!

I can't believe it, Josh is officially a preschooler. He started today and guess what... he loved it! The first thing he said when he woke up this morning was, "Can we go to preschool Mom?" I thought for sure he would cry because he has been telling, "Mom, I am going to be a little shy and cry, but I will be okay." There was none of that, he was excited to put his backpack with all the other kids and head upstairs to his classroom. Miss Danai and Miss Jill made him feel right at home.







When I asked him about his day, he said they played with play dough, sang songs about the alphabet, had a snack (apple juice and animal crackers), and play outside. Everyone had to use the bathroom before they could go out to play. He said, "One kid cried like a baby Mom." I asked if he cried, he said, "No, I was perfect!" What a crack up. When they went outside he played in a sand box and at a water table (hence the shoe-less photo.)






Needless to say, he can't wait to go back and man did I enjoy the 2 1/2 hours! I got so much done. To celebrate the momentous day we went for an ice cream cone and played at the McDonald's play place. Then we made a surprise visit to Aunt Diana. It was a great day for all of us!

Parker update

Yes, this is a picture of Josh "helping" Parker drink from a squirt bottle. Whatever works right? We did receive a phone call last week that Parker's test came back negative for Celiac. There is a possibility that he could still have it, but it won't show up on tests until he is older. So for now, we just are feeding him constantly to make sure he is getting all the nourishment he needs. He is making great progress on eating and drinking from a cup. Way to go Parker. He will have another appointment in a month to check his weight.

Happy Birthday Uncle Jord!

It was Jordan's birthday on Saturday. I wanted to post a picture from the festivities, but I was out of batteries. (For now I used a picture from his mission call opening.) I will post some though because I want to post his birthday cake.

Jordan had a whole weekend of celebrating. He had a great party on Friday night. Then on Saturday we met up with him, Janell, Peter, Kairsee, Jeff, and of course Uncle Josh, for dinner and games. We had so much fun. If you are in the market for a new game try Loaded Questions. It's a guaranteed good time! Then... on Sunday we had a fun double birthday for Uncle John and Jordan. The food was delicious and it was nice to all be together. We have to make the most of our time left, we have just about a month and a week before Jordan heads off to the Argentina MTC!!

Staying busy

I like to be busy. I take after my Grandma Peabody and my dad that way. I have found myself much busier than I expected for this time of year. I am continuing to help in the efforts for Proposition 8, Protecting Marriage. I have enjoyed being involved and seeing the significance of this proposition. I find it exciting to help in such a important issue that the first Presidency has even asked us to support.

Then, my sister in-law and I have gotten an exciting opportunity to plan a wedding open house. I was thrilled. We have both worked on things like this before and have considered doing something as a business, but have made no headway on it. This will be a fun opportunity to use our creativity. Plus, I have a fantastic friend who I consider the "jack of all trades," so we will put her to work too! (See Oh Mannion! then go to Ruth Mannion Floral Design) That will take place in November.

Then my Parkeroni. He has been having a hard time again. He has been quite fussy and unhappy. When we went in for his check up, he had not put on any weight. He went from 75th percentile to less than 50% in the last few months. The doctor is concerned that he may have Celiac disease. This is a total bummer because I almost had myself convinced that I didn't have it. (Nice try I thought) I just made a visit to the GI Specialist and am scheduled for an endoscopy where they will take a biopsy of my small intestine to test for the illness. It seems there is something going on though in Parker's body. So, we have been doing all we can to feed him all throughout the day and help him get the nourishment he needs. He is up to speed on his milestones, but he just starting to fall behind in his size. (It is funny to say that because he has a generous rolls and chub on his checks.) We have been praying for him and even some family members added him to the temple prayer rolls. We appreciate the extra support. He had some tests done last week and we should get the results in the next day or two. Even if it is Celiac, it probably won't give a positive result until he is older. Any extra thoughts or prayer for my Parker are appreciated.

Josh starts preschool this week. Actually, just a play-date with his classmates, then Tuesday is the official day. We have been talking about it. I have explained to him that pre-school is only for kids, not moms and dads. So, we can only stay for a short while and then we have to go. He seems to understand that now, but we'll see what happens that day. I am excited for him. He wants to learn how to read so bad, this will be a good chance to get even more familiar with his letters. Josh also had a check up this past week. He is 40 inches tall and 42 lbs. A big man for sure. He looks like he is about to grow again too.

As for my Dave-o he is working hard as a nurse. He picks up all the extra shifts he can. It is strange that August has rolled around and we do not have to discuss schedules or classes. Woo hoo! We all enjoy having Dad around much more. I am pretty sure Josh considers Dave one of his best friends. Sometimes, I think Dave might feel the same way about his little buddy.

Well... that is the update for now. I'll post when I know more about my Parker.

Pirate Fun

Parker had a fun filled birthday, even if he didn't enjoy any of it. We gave it our best shot. On his actual birthday, which was a Sunday, Josh and I decorated the night before. Parker enjoyed the balloons though. Then when he woke up Josh yelled, "Surprise Parker, it's your birthday!" This carried on throughout the day.

We had birthday dinner and his first birthday cake, but he was not the slightest bit interested in eating it. So, we ate it.


Earlier in the day he opened his new phone and a walking toy that doubles as a car. He really loved both gifts.


Then on Monday night we had a pirate birthday party for him. Since he spent a lot of time throughout his first year with a patch, we only thought it was appropriate.




Since we just had cake and ice cream, we tried to spice it up a bit. There were pirate hats, eye patches, and a treasure chest cake. The cake turned out better than I pictured it. The chocolate coins and jewelry made it fun. For favors we had little treasure chests filled with gold coins and more jewelry. (Thank goodness Wishing Well had all their Halloween decorations out!)


Grandpa did his best to help our unhappy 1 year old enjoy the evening. He enjoyed eating the ice out of Grandpa's cup. The other Grandpa did a great job too. He took him to play in the water while Josh and I opened all his gifts. Josh thought it was great!


Two of Parker's favorites, Auntie Janell and Uncle Peter.


Arrr! Pirate Chloe joined us too. The cutest pirate there.



While everyone was singing Parker got shy and curled up on my shoulder. He actually liked it though. Here he is getting ready to blow out the candle.


Of course with some help.

A joke from my dad

Two young boys walked into a pharmacy one day, picked out a box of tampons and proceeded to the checkout counter.

The man at the counter asked the older boy, 'Son, how old are you?' Eight,' the boy replied.

The man continued, 'Do you know what these are used for?'

The boy replied, 'Not exactly, but they aren't for me. They're for him. He's my little brother. He's four. We saw on TV that if you use these you would be able to swim and ride a bike. Right now, he can't do either one.'

Happy 1st Birthday Parker!!

It's our Parkeroni's first birthday today. Just one year ago our 9 lbs. 9 oz. boy arrived. I just remember when the nurse held him over me my first thought was "He's so big," next was "He's sooo cute!" We are grateful to have Parker in our family. He has had some ups and downs throughout his first year, but everything has turned out well. Not only do Mom and Dad adore him, but so does his big brother. Here is a look at the past year.

Olive Garden's Lemon Cream Cake

I recently was told about a website called Top Secret Recipes. This website has recipes from all your favorite restaurants. Some are free, some you have to pay for. This one I paid $0.79 for. It was tasty and everyone felt it was worth the money. Some of my favorite recipes I have found, but haven't tried yet, are McDonald's Big Mac's and Cherry Slurpee's. Check it out, you might find something you'd enjoy.

Getting political

It is official, I have begun my "assignment." I barely have any time to blog now! I will fit it in soon. So, I am working with many people in my ward to get voters to VOTE for Proposition 8, The California Marriage Proposition Amendment. It is the same wording as the prop. 22 that we voted for a few years back,"Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California." Tonight was the first meeting that our church hosted at a home. It went smoothly. I have never been involved in any kind of political work before. As we start walking to homes or making phone calls, I am sure it will get more interesting!

Here is my theory in a nutshell. People already have an opinion about this issue. I am sure I am not going to change anyone's mind, nor will they change mine. My job though, is to help get those people who feel the same way I do, out to the polls to support this proposition. If you feel the same way I do then, talk to your friends, network, or get involved. If you would like to do more, you can even donate money to ProtectMarriage.com. It is a coalition that is working with a variety of churches, organizations, and individuals to fight this battle. If you know me and would like to donate, I have a form I can e-mail you with details.

This is a chance to not only protect marriage, but also show judges in our state that they can not change our votes. When the public speaks, they should be heard.

More Alexa!

We can't get enough of the new babies in our family. Alexa is doing well. She had a little cold, but overall seems to be a calm baby. Fallon looks good and it seems that they are adjusting well to being new parents.

What a little peanut!