What on Earth?

What a great holiday season we've had! We stayed close to home this year and just lounged around. With new adventures on the horizon, we are trying to lay low knowing on Monday a new chapter in our lives begins. It's been a nice break.

For Christmas I gave my 12-year-old bro-in-law a day ticket to Magic Mountain amusement park north of LA. So, we headed out on a quick trip and went to Magic Mountain on Monday. For those of you that don't know I am a HUGE roller coaster fan. HUGE roller coaster fan is putting it lightly. Fortunately for me Magic Mountain is known for some of the most amazing roller coasters in the world. I've been going to Magic Mountain since I was a kid, always choosing it over Disneyland if given the choice.

Well, here are two of my new favorites. They are worth the playback and the trip!

TATSU - MY FAVORITE

• The train hangs from the track


• You are parallel to the ground in "superman" style


• Feels like you are flying


• Quick corkscrews had the feel of an F16 plane maneuver


• Found my self laughing uncontrollably the entrire "flight"


• Coolest coaster I've ridden

X2 - A CLOSE 2nd

• Seat rotates on train and seat hangs over the track so feet are free below


• The big draw is a really large vertical drop - that's the first hill, which you don't really get from the video


• We rode of the first hill backwards for what seemed to be an enternity and then, suddenly our seats rotated so we were staring face down the vertical drop and instantly we were racing towards the ground


• The vertical drop was rockin' - what a rush

We had a great time and of course forgot a camera, so sorry no pics! Thanks Ken, Kyle, and Wesley for an outstanding day! Can't wait until next year!

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2008
from Team Secrist

We are so thankful for this time of year that reminds us of the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ and the good news that this event means for all mankind and our little family. We wish you all a very, very Merry Christmas. May the holidays be a time of reflection, renewed faith and new commitments.

The gals in their new Christmas dresses before church.

Getting Married

Hattie and Neeley are best friends. They can also be ace foes. That comes with the territory and we wouldn't have it any other way (ok, maybe a tad less screaming). The other night, amid running-here-and-there in preparation for Christmas, they came out of their room in a tight embrace and proudly proclaimed, "We're getting married!"

Hattie and Neeley pulled their shirts up over their heads and pulled back like a wedding veil. They thought they were so funny. They've had a lot of Christmas spirit and excitment and sometimes, well, just sometimes, they just plain crack us up. Little do they know that kids have been pulling this one off since Taani and I had to walk uphill both ways in a blizzard to school when we were kids. Nonetheless, it was funny to see them crack up at the joke.

We're looking forward to some sizable changes in our lives come January 5th as I accepted a promotion within Keller Williams to head an office in Scottsdale - its a great move with massive responsibility. So for now, we are hanging out as a family a lot and are looking forward to the future. We have an immense amount to be grateful for in 2008 and we end the year exhausted and massively thankful!

EDITORS NOTE: Take note of the blue residue of lip gloss on Neeley - she's addicted (see previous post here.

Thanksgiving 2008

What a great thanksgiving...I totally blew off writing about it until I cyberstole (yup, new word I just created) Grandpa Buddy's pictures from his blog. Something about hating my camera so much that I just refuse to take it anywhere anymore...

We had a great weekend with Grandma and Grandpa Harrison in town. We spent Thanksgiving with Taani's grandparents (Great Grandparents to our kids)at their home in our area. The food was amazing and the day perfect. We hiked the mountain in the morning and put up our Christmas decorations a day after T-day.

We purchased a pre-lit tree a few years back, but the lights have slowly been dying year-by-year. Finally this year I yanked them all off. It took a total of four hours to get the lights off. But in the end the tree looks great.

And as is our new tradition three years running...Elf the movie is enjoyed as a family with a giant bowl of popcorn. A nice reward to hanging lights and decorations.

Brothers and Sisters

I had to make a post upon scanning this picture. It was very insightful of my Mom to pair us in this picture clear back in 1976.

My sister Sally is one of my best friends and an outstanding individual. Both our families love to spend time together - we have loads of great memories. Additionally, I have leaned on her on numerous occasions and she is one of the most sincere compassionate people I know. And she married an outstanding guy! In fact, I've known her husband since I was about eight years old - I don't really remember life without him. They've always played an important role in my life and have been an anchor amid trying times. We feel lucky and blessed to live by them and look forward to many more WILD years, ok, maybe minus the WILD.

Love ya Sal!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Today on a morning family hike I asked the girls what they are thankful for. They said:

Neeley = Max Worthen (go figure, but stated as Maxey)
Hattie = School and Mrs Willis

And then they asked me what I was thankful for and I responded:

Family, kids, and life's lessons that bring depth and experience.

Happy Thanksgiving All!

School Pictures 2008 & More Neeleyisms

Once and a while a picture comes a long that really tells the story - that would be Neeley's picture this year. I love this picture - it captures everything great about her personality. This will be the one in 20 years I wish I could hug and read stories to. We love her and she is a very, very important part of our family.

Dinner has been quite the adventure with Neeley lately. She's not afraid to tell us how she really feels about the food sitting in front of her. Well, on Monday night as we sat down to Taco Salad with homemade chips and tortillas from Carolinas (amazing for those of you who haven't been to this hole-in-the-wall place on the wrong side of the tracks), Neeley turned up her nose. Seriously, she doesn't love Taco Salad? Can she be part of the Peterson line? Well, with attitude she swiped her hand in front of her face - you know the swipe, the windshield wiper-like swipe with a head flip as if she has a little soul in her - and said, "I'm not eating one more freakin' bite."

Heaven help us.

Taani is particular about hair and our girls always look great going out the door. The photographer re-did Hattie's hair. I believe I should send a note into the company that did the shots and warn them NOT to mess with Mama's hair. But, this is the official Kindergarten picture! Hattie loves school. Today they were to have a Turkey Trot, but it was cancelled due to rain! After 90 days of sun, it rains on the day she is run her first race and she was so sad! She loves to run.

Front Porch Fishing

When I was a kid my brother Reed and I would fish for hours off our front porch with the rubber training things on the end - the kind that help you hone your casting skills on dry land. We would have contests to see who could cast farther and then we would race to see who could bring them first. This entertained us for hours. Good memories...

So, with their Barbie poles the girls beg to do the same thing. Actually, they hound until I respond: "Dad, Dad, Dad, please, please, please get our fishing poles down, please, please, please..." Once in hand they head out to the front yard and work to get the rubber butterflies (of course) to the other side of the street. And to top it off...a race back to see who can pull them in first.

What Happens When Neeley Meets Lip Gloss

Seriously, need I say more? It was a long day, Neeley had new lip gloss (lip gloss is hoarded and treasured) and put it on all day. In the end this was the result. Isn't being a kid great?

Halloween Candy BE GONE!

So this morning I took extreme action! After all the great suggestions for moving beyond Halloween candy, I offered the gals the following deal:

• Choose 10 peices out of your loot
• Give up the rest, in return I will give you five dollars

They were all for it - picked out their 10 pieces, got the cash and Halloween 2008 is officially closed in the Secrist house. I think we are on to something here! And it helps my kids are motivated by money. Now on to my favorite holiday...Thanksgiving.

Halloween 2008

We had such a great time last night! Since my sister and her family moved to Arizona we've had a tradition of getting the cousins together for dinner and then hitting our area's streets (Ahwatukee) to trick-or-treat. We always go to the same neighborhood in our particular area because the loot is the best I've ever seen! Whole candy bars galore! I'm tellin' ya - we hit jack pot. And then the next morning comes and we (the parents) start plotting how we can slowly make all this junk disappear without the kids noticing, unfortunately part of our exit strategy seems to be consumption. Bummer.

Sophie, Ellie, Hattie and Neeley (a tinkerbell who applied her own lipstick)

Trick or Treat!

This holiday was made for Neeley! She figured out she could hit more houses and be more efficient if she ran from door to door. Soon she realized she could save time if she yelled (and this kid can yell) Trick-or-Treat while running up to the house. And then as soon as she grabbed handfuls (very embarassing) she would take off running and yell "Thank You" as she cut across the yard. The candy monster surfaced and she was focused and determined.

I love our area! Loads of people out, fire pits in driveways with lawn chairs, good times!

A Reflective Moment

As humans we must be creatures of habit. Every night I have the habit of walking the home, checking doors, turning out lights, adjusting the A/C (yup, still in October - yuck), and making sure the girls are good. Some nights I can just tell they melted in bed the hours before. This was one of those nights. They didn't even move when the flash went off right in their faces! Exhausted! We took them to the Fall Carnival at the school last night and I think that wore them out in conjunction with a full day. You will note the face painting from the Carnival on Neeley's face.

One of my favorite times as a parent is the "quiet time" in their room while they are asleep. I find myself standing over them, proud, nervous for the world they face, wondering if I am doing enough, praying for their success, praying they will be kind to others, and reflecting on our journey as a family. It's truly one of my favorite things in my day. Getting 'em to bed...not so much.

I received a call from Hattie's Vice Principal that she was being recognized as a "good citizen and student." He called me at work and said her teachers nominated her because she is a joy to have in class, a good student (she's gone from reading level 10 - 20 so far this year), a friend to all, and extremely helpful to her teachers. We all know this is due to her outstanding MOTHER. I'm proud of little Hattie. She's a really good kid.

Friday Nite Fun!

We had a campout. We love to camp, but for some reason 2008 has yeilded ZERO camping trips. I'm sure we know why - its been a slightly wild year, but in the end our trips add up to nada! So...upon arriving home on Friday from work we set up the tent in our backyard and set out for a night of adventure. Fortunately, temps are perfect here right now. We enjoyed stars and our firepit. Since it was last minute we lacked marshmallows for roasting, but other than that we were good. The gals were begging to do it the next night. Times like these make being a parent kinda fun.

Random Shots of Our Last Week

A WEEK IN THE LIFE!

Neeley's soccer pictures! She was sad during the game and a little overwhelmed at the choas. But Aubrey and Chloe Worthen were there to help! We love our family and were so glad these two were there to cheer Neeley on.

The Cousins!

Hattie's FINAL (for the rest of her life final) birthday dinner with Grandma & Grandpa Great (aka Grandama/Grandpa Gum). The first picture with all the kids: We pulled out the cupcakes and the kids playing on the playground came over to have one. It was kinda funny - they simply showed up, sat up, and ate up. Yes, there are a couple we know, a couple of cousins, but ultimately we didn't know any of them. Kinda funny.

Hattie and Grandma Great!

Hiking up the mountain behind Grandma and Grandpa's House in California

Gathering Acorns

Ogres that Love Cupcakes: A Love Story

Birthdays. Wow, what a nightmare. Someone send us the the chapter from Proper Parenting textbook...we need help. Does such a book exist? I mean a real textbook, none of these "how to" books in Barnes and Noble where you follow the book but your kids don't? Sigh.

So, it feels like it has been Hattie's birthday all week. From school attention to gifts sent in the mail, dropped off, etc...(and very kind). It has gone on all week. And at the end of the week this sweet six year old has morphed to a large over-sized ogre with jagged teeth and a hankering for cupcakes.

By Saturday night our kids were very burnt out and beyond onry. You know the kind I'm talking about - all over the place, fighting, screaming, beating each other and thus creating very, very angry parents. It was one of those times where you look at your spouse and say "when do we get a vacation?" Sometimes, and I'm not afraid to admit it, kids stink. We are crazy about our kids, but sometimes they make us...well...er...CRAZY!

Yesterday was our first experience with little league. Both Hattie and Neeley are signed up for Soccer. By last night Hattie cried and cried on the field of a bunch of kids smiling and ready to play. I'm sorry, I couldn't even take a picture. I was bugged at the soccer leauge for booking a game for a six-year-old at 5pm but was even more bugged that my daughter that wanted to play was turning to mush on the field and no one knew how to help her. Eventually we scooped her up and took her home. The week long birthday monster had to go home, put on her fuzzy slippers, brush her teeth and go to bed. It was time to end this marathon of a week.

And then some guy, not knowing I was Hattie's Dad, pointed to her meltdown on the field and said, "You know her parents never bring her to practice so she doesn't feel part of the team." In all fury I turned around and said, "I'M HER DAD! She has been to one practice out of the two we held and I don't recall seeing your son at that practice." And then he had the nerve to tell me that she should have shin guards on or she is going to get hurt. We left them in home while taming the beasts. Dude, this guy was about to get a fist...not to mention all the overbearing parents more into this than their kids. Sorry, that's not me and I was already a man on the edge.

So today is Sunday and we still aren't over it. The beasts still rage. When will we learn? I think from this we have come to a couple of conclusions:

• No sleepovers
• Sleep is good
• Husbands and wives should go away together, often
• Birthdays are just that...a day. No more "dinner here, party there, etc..."

What a life. Such novices - we brought this on ourselves. We have no one else to blame. All is well.

Disneyland, Beach & Family

We've had a great trip to Southern California! We were so "nose-to-the-grindstone" for months that it was good to separate ourselves from our routine and head out-of-town. We've had a great time! From early morning trail runs, to hiking, to Disneyland, to the beach we've enjoyed every minute. And then last night we were able to attend a family event too on my side of the family. It was great to be there, good to be in their home and great to see my family too!


The start of the day! Check out the excitement on their faces!!!

I had to put this picture in even though it turned out blurry (I STRONGLY dislike my camera). Hattie's kindergarten teacher was at Disneyland the same day and sent us a text message that she wanted to see Hattie for a quick picture and hug. How cool is that? Seriously, we have the best teacher ever. Hattie thought this was very cool. Thanks Mrs. Willis!!!!

Here are the kids playing at AnneMichelle's and Jeremy's home in San Diego area after the baptism. My kids love playing with Christian and Jack (they are very good boys!) and are very kind to Hattie and Neeley. They played and played on the lawn in blankets. Jack is under the blue blanket at the right. The other kids are the Harris family, friends of the Drews.

Here they are: Christian, Jack, Hattie and Neeley. They didn't want to leave and asked if "they could come back tomorrow." They didn't want to go home.

Fun trip!