Locks of Love

So about 6 months ago I had this talk with Charlie about taking care of her hair. She wasn't really excited about washing it or brushing it more than once a week or so. So I gave her and ultimatum. I told her that she would have to start taking care of it or get a "boy" haircut. Well you guessed it, she did her part for about a week and then went back to once a week washings. I really hate it when you make deals with your kids and then you hate the outcome more than they do. I really didn't want to cut her hair because of all the time we put into growing it and how beautiful it looked. So I put it off for a few days and then a few weeks and then a couple of months. But it was always in the back of my mind. Then I talk to my sister Katie and she tells me that my niece had just donated her hair to Locks of Love. It was brilliant and the answer to my wavering. So I convinced Charlie that wanted to do the same. I let her wait until after the new year. This is her getting ready to get it cut.

This is Bliss. She is doing the deed. Charlie was really brave.Here she posses with her donation. She really looks great with shorter hair. And she got to do something great for someone else. I'm very proud of her.

Taking Buba to Venice

We took Buba to Venice yesterday. We had a great day. We saw the end of a glass blowing demonstration and then walked around Mirano and saw some amazing glass sculptures. Then wandered around Venice for a while. Some of us took a gondola ride to save Buba's legs a little. Then ended the day by taking the Vaperetto (aka water bus) back to the car. By the time that we got home we were to tired to stay up to greet the new year. So we just had a really great breakfast thanks to Sean.

Making Cookies and Caroling

We have a tradition that we make cookies and other treats for our friends and neighbors at Christmas time. I think that I made about a million cookies this year. Then we like to deliver them and sing a little Christmas carol. Now when I say "little" I mean little. We are what you would call a one hit wonder. We only sing We Wish You a Merry Christmas. But we love that we can do this for those close to us.

This is some of our Italian friends, Silvia and Naomi. They really liked the singing and later reported loving the fudge.

Buba is visiting us this year for Christmas and the New Year. So we dragged her along with us and our friends the Higbee's. It might look like it's snowing or raining but it was so foggy that the flash from the camera did this. It just makes me laugh. We had a great time. Can't wait till next year.

Homecoming

I didn't get any pictures of the football game. What maybe because I don't have anyone at my house who plays on the football team. So this is what homecoming means at the Peterson House. Borrowing 4 fantastic dresses from some really great friends and then spending the week trying them on with different accessories. This was the final choice and I think that she looks fantastic. The only thing that made me a little sad was that I realized that she would probably not get to have before the dance pictures with any of her dates because the boys can't drive over here. So they just meet you at the dance. Sorry Sis.

I've been tagged

So my friend Terrilee has tagged me. That means that I have to write 7 random things about myself. So like my friend Lexi said "I'll see if I can come up with 7 things".
First-I love Italy. Terrilee has said that she hated the first 3 and half years here but now that she has become active in church again and picked up some really awesome friends (Lexi, Nancy, Tabi, and of course me to name a few), she is sorry that her time here is up. We will miss you but I still love Italy. I love the huge windows in my house, looking at the way that people dress here, round abouts, old crumbling down buildings, that I can go to Venice, Italy for a day trip and that my children get to experience it with me.
B-My favorite kind of store is a book store. I love stories. Happy, sad, mysterious, good guys and bad guys, when the girl saves the boy and the other way around. I love to wander through the isles and smell the paper. One of the hardest things about being here is that I don't speak, read or write Italian and guess what. That's the only kind of bookstores they have here. Thats one of the things I look forward to on our visits home.
3-I love to cook but hate to clean up afterwards. So I don't cook as much as I would like to.
quattro-I'm afraid of heights. When Sean and I went to Germany this last summer. We took a tram ride up the side of the really big mountain. I couldn't even look out the window. I laid down on the seat and closed my eyes and thought all of my "I'm going to die any minute" thoughts.
Fifth-Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It's not like Christmas where we sometimes get confused on the meaning or Mother's Day that's all about one person or Memorial Day that turns into who's going to the lake and is bringing the boat and skies instead of remembering those that sacrificed for us. I like Thanksgiving because it's about everyone. About being thankful for all that we have and of course there's the food.
F-I love getting a new hair cut but I hate getting my eyebrows waxed even though I have to do both at the same time.
7-My secret wish is to have my husband plan a romantic night out for us to see a concert or play or anything that doesn't include the movie theater. Followed by dinner at a small out of the way place that all the tourist or people that he works with won't be at. Followed up by...I think I'll leave the rest up to him.

So now I'm suppose to tag 7 people but I don't know 7 people who blog that haven't already been tagged to I'll just do the best that I can.
-Peggy
-Becky (because I haven't heard for you in awhile)
-Kayla
-Janet

Good luck!!!

Dear Diary

Dear Diary,
I haven't written in awhile so today's entry might be a long one. You know that I always like to update you on what the kids are up to to I'll start with the littlest one.
Jessie is as always making me laugh. The other day she asked me what Sunday was. I said that I wasn't sure what she wanted to know and to explain further. She wanted to know if it was linger longer Sunday or fast Sunday or slow Sunday. She also just finished her soccer season. She won the season (or so she says).
The school that the kids attend started a new thing this year called GradeSpeed. It's were parents can go online and check on the kids grades at any time. The teacher update them with every assignment. This has been great for Charlie. She, of course, has all A's and M's. Of course, I don't know what the M's are but I'm sure they are great. Soccer just ended for her also and she really had a fun time. She had great coaches and happy teammates.
Gavin will be finishing Soccer this weekend. We are really happy about this. Because I don't volunteer to coach I never feel like I can complain about those who do and I'm not now. I'm just going to say that I'm happy that the season is almost over for him. Hopefully next year will be a better experience for him.
Taylor...Taylor...Taylor...I'm not sure what to say here. OH I know, she just finished cross country. She didn't qualify for Europeans but she is really looking forward to basketball starting in a few weeks. She gets herself up for seminary everyday(almost) and is anxious to get there everyday. That GradeSpeed thing that I mentioned has actually turned out to be a bonus for her. When we saw that her grades were a little low she pulled them right up. Yeah for me(or is that Yeah for her).
So Sean got another calling in church. He is the branch president. I said another calling. He didn't get released from his old calling so I think he is still the Young Mens Pres. also. He has taken up road biking here. So he still leaves for 3 or 4 hours on Saturday but it's not for golf anymore.
Speaking of church calling something sorta funny happened to me. In Feb. I was called to be the primary pres. I loved it. It was just the calling for me. Then about a month ago I was asked to be the Relief Society Pres. I said of course I would do what ever they needed me to do. The funny part is that they didn't release me from the Primary first. So for about 3 weeks I got to be President Squared. That was what our old Branch Pres. called me. Now I'm just in the RS. Wait I don't mean just I mean only. I've been crazy busy getting ready for Halloween. Making costumes, arranging a party for the kids and getting ready to visit the rest home. Oh and did I mention trick-or-treating. Maybe we'll just opt out this year. We'll see.
Thanks for listening Diary. Write more soon.
Julie

Taylor on the run

I know that the brothers will be interested in this. Taylor is on the Cross Country team. This was her first meet. She came in 9th. But she was the first one from Vicenza. Her time was 25:45 for a 5K. I think that she did fantastic.

Here she is crossing the finish line. She made us proud today.