General musings.

As I was reading a fellow blogger's blog, I decided to copy a bit of what she said. (Thank you, Aimee.) I find myself a very visual person, and so I like to add pictures to the blog with a little writing. I don't write a lot about what we are doing, other than to add a caption or story to a picture. I will have to give this journaling a whirl and see what sort of feedback I get from my faithful viewers. That means that you faithful viewers will have to leave feedback for me! And so begins my journaling about what goes on here at our house.

Today we are packing closets. Are you familiar with the child who likes to "stash"? I have one. When we tackle a job like emptying out a closet, or cleaning out under the beds, we inevitably discover this child's stashes. They are usually a collection of small items that get lumped together and "put away" quickly so that the cleaning is done and fun may be had. I am thankful that there is rarely food involved. I shudder at the thought.

My goal for the day is to have all of the clothes closets moved over and arranged at the new home, as well as the linen closet, toy closet and front hall closet, and the boxes of off season clothing put away in my new storage closet. It is a hefty goal considering that it is noon here and nothing has been moved yet. The girls have their closet ready, the two boys' closets are not ready. It will be close!

If any of you viewers have any moving tips, please post them for me. I would love to get input and any helpful tips that may make the next week run smoothly.

Praise the Lord!

Yesterday, December 26, 2007, the entire Larry A. Pederson family spent an hour or so at the new home (304 Lilac Ct). We prayed for all those who would enter the home to be blessed, we prayed for those dwelling in the home to be blessed, and we prayed that we would be faithful stewards of the beautiful new home that God has given to us. "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" was read to all of us. It was the first time that I can remember all of us gathering at one time to pray for our new home. We have moved 17, soon to be 18 times in the past 15 years and I know that individually we have prayed for a move and a new home, but this was different.

For all of you who have patiently kept up with horrible pictures, waiting to see the completed house, your wait will soon come to an end. We had some professional shots taken at the house on Saturday, and they will soon be posted here for you all to see. We are moving in, even today, after a long summer and fall. The home is far more beautiful than I could ever have imagined. It will be a brand new start for us this year, as we will be in a brand new home with a brand new baby. God is so good! Praise Him for His unending love and generosity to us!!

Follow this link.

If you would like to watch a humorous little clip about homeschooling, click below. It made me laugh out loud.

www.doublesharpevideo.com/HomeSchool2/Homeschool2.html

Still updating you on the house.

Here are a few more pictures of the house, all taken upstairs.
This is a picture of the master bath. You can see the "throne room" to the right. To the immediate left and right (out of view) are the his and her bathroom sinks and mirrors.
Sorry about the blinding light. This is a view of the girls' bathroom mirror and lights. They are not that yellow in real life. I wasn't able to get the sinks and countertop in the picture, but they are beautiful.
I was standing in the girls' bedroom looking out into the hallway when I took this picture. The doorway to the left accesses their bathroom.
This was taken in the master bedroom. Again, sorry about it being so dark. The door on the left is a linen closet. The arched doorway on the left is the bathroom. There is a deck off the master which will be photographed later. Directly behind me is the walk in closet.

As you can see, most of the house is finished. The carpet will be in on Friday. Next week the windows will be cleaned and the final post construction clean will be done. We are having a huge open house on December 22, 2007. After Christmas, we will begin moving in. Sometime between now and then I hope to photograph the entire house (in better light) and get the pictures of the completely finished house posted. Thanks for taking the time to check the progress on this monumental task. It has been quite fun to see it all coming together. And by the way, anytime you all are in the area, look us up. We love company!

House update, as of Dec 8, 2007

I am not quite sure why the pictures appear so dark. They don't look this dark on my camera. Enjoy them anyway?
Picture of the living room.
Picture of the left half of the kitchen. The only thing left is for the tile man to set the backsplash, then for the electrician to follow him and put in the under cabinet lighting.
Picture of the dining room and bay window.
Another picture looking straight up the middle of the kitchen. In the foreground is the prep sink that will be used for getting veggies and things ready. The larger, kitchen sink is in the background under the window.
This is the view from the top of the stairs looking down toward the front door/entry area. Notice the slate tile and the natural pecan hardwood. I love the colors of both!

Grandpa & Grandma Peet's visit. Dec 7, 2007

Here is a picture of my new grandma, Betty Jo. She married my dearest grandpa in June of this past year. On their way through the southwestern part of the United States, they stopped in to see us for a day and a half. They were able to meet their newest great-grandchild.

My grandpa, Roger, on the left with Betty Jo and Adam.
I must say that in all my life I have never seen my grandpa with a beard, just a mustache. It was new for me and new for him as well! It was the first time in his life that he grew a beard. After travelling through the country for a month, I wonder if he will shave it off when he gets home tonight. What a beautiful picture of a great-grandpa with his great-grandson. I wonder what they were both thinking.
Grandpa and Grandma with Adam and Ruth. Thomas is in the background.

Two more birthday pictures.

Could she be any cuter?

I think they speak for themselves. Love her enthusiasm.

Ruth turns 2! November 28, 2007

The birthday girl enjoying her balloons. We had a nice, quiet (well, mostly quiet) birthday. After the balloon antics, she began opening her presents.


She tore off small pieces of paper and had to make sure that each piece was put in the trash before unwrapping anymore. I can only hope that her tidiness will last into adulthood.
Bizarre hairdo indeed. This lovely ribbon came from a stuffed animal and she insisted on wearing it. I think it makes her even cuter!
She was excited to blow out her candle. Nicholas was excited to play with matches.

can't get enough of the sleeping baby

Here Larry is trying to read to Ruth while holding the sleeping baby, Adam.

Ruth is reading her book to Dad.
Now they are both sleeping.
I love when the babies fall asleep on Dad's broad chest. What a dear picture.

Adam Eliot Pederson's baptism, November 25, 2007

Adam Eliot was baptized on Sunday, November 25, 2007 at Christ Reformed Church in Meeker, CO, pastor Rogers Meredith and elder Craig Thiesen conducting the ceremony. Friends of ours, the Nick Chaney family, had their son, Weston, baptized on the same day. The faithfulness of God is always before us as we baptize a child. Thanks be to God for His never ending faithfulness to His covenant and to His covenant children.
back row (l-r): Thomas-15, Brian-13, Larry (holding Ruth-2), Amy (holding Adam-2 weeks), Maria-11 and Ellie-15.
from row (l-r): Joseph-5, Sabrina-4, Matthew-7 and Nicholas-9.

Thanksgiving at the Pederson's home.

We had a restful Thanksgiving with Seth and Joe Cernik joining us. Seth brought the greatest egg nog ever! It truly made this Thanksgiving extraordinary.
Nicholas and Ruth enjoying a little puzzle time in the morning.
Seth and Ellie working on the potatoes.
After the meal, we all gathered in the living room to read to each other our favorite Scripture verses, or verses in the Bible that talked about being thankful. Even the little ones had Bible stories to share with us. We also drank more wine and egg nog and soaked up the fellowship.
More pictures of the children with their verses ready.
Seth reading while enjoying a nice back rub from Maria.

Adam, 11 days old

I was trying to capture Adam with his eyes open. I am not the greatest camera engineer, so forgive the awful lighting. I am sure most of you would know which setting to choose, but I am just an amateur. Enjoy the pictures anyway!


Yes, Ruthie wanting to hold Adam again.
The adorable Sabrina with her baby brother, Adam, again.

The twins are 15!! Happy Birthday Ellie and Thomas.

Hard to believe that these children of my youth are now 15 years old. When I tell people that, they inevitably say, "They're going to be driving soon!" I remember the days of learning how to drive. As the oldest of our 10 children, they have been given a great deal of responsibility and continually rise to the occasion. They both have servants hearts and look for ways in which to serve their parents and their siblings. They are a joy to their mother and I pray that the Lord would continue to prepare them for the future work He has in store for them. My prayer is that their current family would be a blessing to them and a source of encouragement. May the truth of the Lord and His love for you be planted in your hearts. May you love Him and serve Him all your days.

Adam, ten days old

He is starting to look like such a little man.
I think these overalls on a little baby are rather bulky, but they sure are cute.
Making noises and faces for you all to enjoy.
This picture was accompanied by lots of baby grunts. They are so precious and are some of my all time favorite sounds.
Adorable. Enough said.

Adam, eight days old

The girls absolutely adore their little brother and have been asking every day to hold him.
Here is our little lumberjack with older sister, Sabrina.
Little Ruthie wanting to kiss brother's cheek. Adam is just so bendy that he kept sliding and slumping over. Eventually she was able to plant a kiss.
Here she is making her move.
Successful! What a treasure these kids are.

Welcome little Adam Eliot Pederson!

Join us in welcoming our newest little gift and blessing from the Lord!
Adam Eliot Pederson was born Sunday, November 11, 2007 at 12:44 in the afternoon. He was 9lbs. 1oz. and 21 1/2" long. His chubby little head was 14 3/8" around. Mom and baby are both doing great and the siblings are eager to hold him as much as they can. Please keep us all in your prayers as we adjust and try to get some sleep.

Musings from a very pregnant woman...

First of all, it is against my nature to blog with no picture and seeminly no purpose. Although, perhaps there is someone out there interested in what I have to say this afternoon. So I will do what is not natural for me and blog away some of my thoughts of the past few days and nights.

I am "due" with baby #10 in 18 days, November 17, that is 2 weeks and 4 days. I normally run a little over my "due" date, so I don't anticipate delivering around then, but rather sometime around Thanksgiving. With the due date so close, the normal things are occuring. I am having difficulty in sleeping, as I am up several times a night. Even when I am tired, I am not able to sleep. Last night I watched the last half of Gods and Generals until 5:15 am and then I was able to catch a few hours of sleep. I try to nap during the day, but after 1 hour of laying in bed, I give up. I do believe that even laying down is doing me some good so I continue to do so, even if I don't sleep.

Not only do I have the pregnant waddle, I have the pregnant SLOOOOOOOW waddle. There are a few days here and there where my walking speed is almost normal, but mostly I walk very slowly and I waddle at that. I am sure you ladies out there can relate to not being able to get out of your chair during the last few weeks? I have taken to knitting in my chair and crocheting in my chair, both of which are fine activities for keeping your hands busy and your mind preoccupied.

I have been finishing up a few projects here and there. Two beautiful quilts were sent to two adorable twin girls for their second birthday, link to my friend Aimee's blog and you will see pictures. I have also finished a wall hanging for our entry that just needs the binding hand stitched down, another great chair project that will take me about 4 hours. Just today I sewed up a duvet cover for Sabrina's toddler bed. I made it out of a beautiful white king sized sheet with crocheting on the end. The sewing was easy, except for the button holes. Apparently I wasn't following the instructions! After 45 minutes and much frustration, I figured out the problem and finished that project. It is beautiful. For someone who doesn't sew, I guess I sew quite a bit. The last sewing project I have is a set of curtains for the girls' room. I sewed one pair a few years ago, and another pair is needed for their new room, which has two windows. Luckily I have enough fabric to make another pair. So, once that project is finished, my sewing area will be dismantled to make room for the baby cradle. That puts a time constraint on my sewing, but I work much better with a deadline, especially one that is so ever present and on my mind.

Yes, back to my mind. It is always surprising to me just how absurd my thoughts get when I am 8 1/2 months pregnant. What I would normally laugh off as odd thoughts or unreasonable fears, seem to be given credence in these last few weeks. Many nights I sing Psalms to the Lord and to myself to try to get my mind back to "normal". I often sit awake reading Scriptures full of promises of peace and of being cared for by the Lord. It is often just a few minutes after such readings, that the fears and doubts begin to creep back into my thoughts. What a vulnerable time it is for a pregnant woman. I am thankful that it only lasts a short while and that afterwards, there is such a beautiful reward to kiss and hold. I do look forward to that day.

I began to journal with my last pregnancy, and have started up again within the last week. It is refreshing to read what I wrote with my last pregnancy. It is also comforting to see how the Lord worked out all of the details with the last delivery and the days leading up to. It is such a trial of faith for me to be patient, and reading my thoughts has helped me to rest and be still and wait on the Lord.

We will keep you all posted as to the arrival of this little bundle. What a glorious day that will be!

House progress as of October 24, 2007.

These are pictures as of October 18, with more work having been completed in these rooms since then. First of all, all of the tile is done, including the tub surrounds, which this picture shows as incomplete. Second of all, every door, every window and all of the base trim is finished upstairs, which this picture shows as incomplete. Oh, if only I could keep up with the progress! It seems to be moving along so quickly now.
This picture (above) is of the girls' bathroom.
One of the upstairs doors installed, not yet trimmed. (But as of now they ARE trimmed.)
The tile guy having finished the tile surround in the boys' bathroom (same color scheme as the girls' bathroom).
The master bath tub surround, a bit different color scheme than the other two bathrooms. There is that cute carpenter again. So thankful I married him.
Here is a picture of the boys' room (left) and girls' room (right) with all of the trim finished. It is absolutely gorgeous trim. Again, so thankful I married a man with such good taste. He picked out all of the trim and colors. *side note*--none of the wood is yet stained. That will be done when the painter extraordinaire comes back and finishes all of the walls and the trim. Perhaps another week or so until then.