Kennedys

Christmas Newsletter still under construction (sorry :( )

2011-12-19T07:33:00.000-08:00

Wish we could do it all over again!!!

2010-08-27T11:27:00.000-07:00

Visited friends and family in Utah this past month and what a BLAST we had!! It was everything rolled up into one: fun, adventurous, special, exciting, new and remembered. To start off our trip we loaded up the minivan and yes, we drove to Utah! Everything went suprisingly well. We stopped half-way in Missouri to spend a day with Jake and Jen. And how awesome it was to relax with them, go to the pool, do a little shopping and have a little barbeque. Thank you Jake and Jen for all the fun!

Visited with Nanna and Grandad next, first taking a trip to the Treehouse museum. Played a giant game of chess with Christian in which he won of course. And then moved on to the music room which was a huge hit, I wish I could post all the pics, the kids loved it. Great idea Nanna, and thanks for all the fun at your house.

Laurie's birthday was celebrated sporadically at the park with Granny Great and extended family and then at Bear Lake. Thank you so much Granny Great and Grandma Skousen for making her birthday so special, with gifts and a cake and so much fun. She really loved it!!

This day was very special. Because Peter and I wanted to attend the temple but forgot our sunday clothes at Nanna's, Granny-great and Papa-Ed were kind enough to let us raid their closet. The only pants Peter fit into were some green stiff cotton pants probably a couple decades old and a tie to match. I pieced together a skirt of Grandmas with a shirt of my own, but the accessories and shoes etc. were so random, we were quite an unusual site :) Despite all of it we were so glad to be able to enter the temple, and it turned out to be a very special experience. Later we took the kids all over Temple Square and into the visitor centers. Thank you Granny-great and Papa Ed!

Bear Lake was perfect. The weather was warm and lovely and the water was nice. The kids spent most of the day building and digging in the sand and playing with their cousins. At night it was so cool we put on sweatshirts and sat around the fire pit. Thank you Joe and Heidi for taking us out on the Catamaran, that was a memory maker for sure, we had so much fun!! We took the kids out on the old paddle boat and let Laurie and Christian paddle; Joe sped by on the Catamaran and we threw Laurie on board with him- she's not going to forget that!

Took the kids to the Trout Farm for a little easy fishing. The kids loved it! Afterwards, Christian was able to see how the fish were gutted and fileted. I don't think he's going to be taking that up for a summer job!

More fun at Bear Lake! Laurie and Kayla sat on the swings for hours singing songs and having fun together. Josh helped the kids dig a huge mud pit in the sand, I felt like asking him to 'let my people go' :)

Went to Hogle Zoo with Jenny and her kids. Saw the adorable baby elephant and got a ride on the carousel. Thank you Jenny for such a fun time! And thank you Hogle Zoo :)

Grandma gave us a special tour of the Conference Center. We loved it! What amazing artwork that building holds. Thank you Grandma!

Grandma had this great idea to feed the birds at Sugarhouse Park. It turned out to be a blast! We went through 5 loaves that morning (don't tell the natural habitat people) and the kids loved it. We had a great time!

What a PERFECT way to end our trip. Just relaxing at grandma and grandpas with a tractor ride, chickens, horses, throwing rocks in the river, playing with the kittens, a gourmet snow cone and a tear-jerker movie to fall asleep to. It was Hard to leave Utah the following morning :(

Keep Scrolling......there's more!

Visiting Family

2010-08-27T10:19:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun just hanging out with you guys :) Thank you so much for a delightful reprieve on our way to Utah and on our way back home!

We had a very nice and relaxing time at your home and a great time visiting the museum with you! Thank you for all the fun :)

What a fun day this was! Thank you for such a special day at Temple Square :)

You're beautiful Julie!! Thanks for the fun talk over 3 scoops of Baskin Robbins!

You're a HUNK Josh!! Thank you for your boyscout/life guard skills with the kids!!! And letting us take over your room :)

Miss you Tricia and Tristan! We're so happy to finally meet Gideon, what a Cute little tiger he is!!

Three Angels!! You're not going to last long Maryann, if you know what I mean :) Keep following your dreams, and thankyou for showing us the stars, you're going to make a great pilot! That little girl of yours Heidi was perfectly named! It was lovely to hold her :)

Thankyou for everything Liz! Especially your help with the kids, they just loved you!

Really enjoyed meeting you Spencer! Good Luck you two!! We're behind you :)

Thanks you guys for everything!! Wish we could've seen your home, still wishing we had.

Wish we could've hung out longer with you two!! Next time for sure! Thank you for the Delicious home made Pizza!!!

Wishing you well in everyway Maralee and kids!

Love you Grandma!

Love you Granny Great and Papa Ed! Thank for letting us sleep over and for the birthday/get together party in the park! And for helping us get to the temple!

Love you Grandma, thank you for the Magician, the kids still talk about it!

Had some great laughs at your house Heather! Thank you so much for letting us come over and play! Take Care and tell Dan we said Hi!

Loved our walk with Grandma and Grandpa and just spending time together!! Thank you for the Tractor ride Grandpa and the gourmet snow cones!!

Graduation and a Job

2010-06-04T09:23:00.000-07:00

He's actually done it, I can't believe he did it! Congratulations mon ami! I knew you could :)We've had a pretty exciting, although quiet week this past week as Peter Graduated with his Masters in Health Administration. A culmination of 8 long years, well, some short, some long :) 4 children (which equals 4 pregnancies as well) 4 moves, 4 different wards, 3 different employments, a bit of school loans, late late nights, and some very worn sections of carpet where we both have spent a bit of time on our knees! Its been a quiet celebration, mostly within the walls of our home and our hearts. And now - we have the lucky, very priviledged position of ......paying back the school loans! yay!... the fun never ends ;) There are some people who are very fortunate to get right through school without too many hickups, so to speak, but for us, it hasn't been so fortunate. We have really struggled and we've learned a lot about work, faith and perseverance. And it has all paid off. We're so happy to be here on the other side, a little weary, but with stronger hearts. We wish that we could've had more family and friends out here to celebrate with us. John, Sheryl and Sharmain came out for a few days and we had a good time together. I can't believe its all over - no longer the student life so to speak. I think we're ready :) Peter has also accepted a job as the Associate Administrator over some of the divisions in Internal Medicine at at VCU. He is very excited! And that puts us here in Richmond for a little bit longer. He was very sad to leave CJW hospital since he learned so much there and made very close friends. But he's looking forward to meeting new friends at VCU. If you would like to share any thoughts or congratulations to him, please email, call or comment. He would love it!

Alfa Romeo and Ice Cream

2010-05-25T09:06:00.000-07:00

For a (so-called :)) Graduation gift from mwha, Peter exchanged his Volvo for an '88 Alpha Romeo Spider. A little Italian convertible that requires various fine tuning. Peter was ecstatic, to say the least, to get his hands on this and fix it up. He's wanted this since last fall, and finally, after jumping through hoops and lining up ducks, it is his. He spent some quality time this weekend with his dad fixing it up. Last weekend we drove up to Charlottesville to get the parts, and because the kids were so good on the drive, we celebrated with two scoops each. Here's Peter on the last day of his Residency at CJW Hosp, a very momentous day! p.s. Don't ask how he fits into this little car, he doesn't care - he's in love.

Sand, Water and Friends

2010-05-25T08:52:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pics of the kids and the friends they play with most, a few are missing. Some are backyard friends and playdate friends, next door neighbor friends and in the bottom righthand corner are the homeschooling groups. We'll be losing a few friends this summer because they're moving and will be VERY missed. I put Patrick in the sand for the very first time. he LOVED it! I couldn't get him away from it without him throwing a fit. He wiggled his toes around in it and grabbed at it with his hands and squealed with delight. Hmmm...who does that look like?

Bearded Dragons

2010-05-25T06:48:00.000-07:00

Christian turned 7 this year and we can hardly believe it!!! Its hard to believe he'll be baptized next year! Where has the time gone?? Christian has grown into such a sweet, caring, competitive and smart little boy. He tries very hard to make the right decisions and he loves to swim, play baseball, build things, play with friends, take care of critters and play board games and video games. A month before his birthday he came to me and told me he wanted a lizard pet. I confess I didn't know what to say. Up to that point I didn't know of anyone who had a lizard pet. I've since talked to many people who say they're great pets for little boys. I was also clueless as to where he got the idea of having a lizard for a pet anyway! But he was pretty persistent about wanting one. So we took him to the pet store to watch him squirm as he held one, thinking he would change his tune once he realized what taking care of a lizard entailed, but he didn't squirm or back down a bit. In fact, he and Peter got more and more excited at the prospect of owning a little lizard. We found out that they eat crickets, worms, fruits and vegetables, and require a heat lamp and lots of attention. We found these Bearded Dragons on craigslist, and they came with everything much cheaper then what we would've paid for at the pet store. They're about 8mths old and will probably grow a few more inches. Christian named them Lego and Bakugan and he loves them. He feeds them every morning and they'll sit on his shoulder while he builds lego ships or they'll join the ranks when he sets up his battleground on the playroom floor. When friends come over, they each get to hold one. And when he goes outside, he takes them with him and they crawl on the grass or sit on his shoulder while he joins his comrades at outdoor activities. They're very cute and clean and I'm a little surprised at how much I like them as well. Since aquiring them Gabriel has constantly been asking me for a puppy.... oh wow, here we go!! Christian also requested Speghetti Pizza for his birthday dinner. Something I've made only twice now, last year for his birthday, and now this year. We put sausage speghetti on pepperoni pizza, add a bit more sauce, and cheese, bake and then voila! - Speghetti pizza!! Its really quite creative, I'm not sure where he came up with this idea either :) Once he even wrote me up a recipe card for it - I'm definitely saving that one. He's a little boy who knows what he wants, even if its a little out of the ordinary :)!! Happy Birthday Christian! And thank you to all those who sent gifts and made a phone call - he really felt special that day!!

Easter Pics

2010-05-25T06:35:00.000-07:00

We had these pictures taken of the kids in the Easter clothes. We needed to up date their portraits on the wall and these turned out pretty cute. Patrick is only 6 months in this picture and can't quite sit up. Those big blue eyes!!!

Two Month Update!!

2010-03-07T20:23:00.000-08:00

Hello Everybody!
To summarize, we’ve never been so overwhelmed in our lives as we have been the past few months, and we’ve been through a lot. But, we’ve also been blessed and we’ve found a little peaceful moment to finally take it all in. To backup a bit we’ve had 4 snow storms this year!! It’s unbelievable – nobody here is prepared for it, and they don’t sell snow shovels and sleds at the department stores. The snow was tons of fun of course, the kids built snowmen, went sledding and had snowball fights. However, every time it did snow, Peter had to work, and sometimes overnight. Its called a code-W, for weather, and the whole Admin staff meets together to ensure that hosp. staff, nurses and doctors make it to work. Considering that all these snowstorms came on the weekend, Peter worked right through the weekends. He worked everyday for 20 days straight because of the snow storms. Church was also cancelled twice due to snow, and we hulled up inside for days, having sacrament together with neighbors.

I am still homeschooling – and its working fine, but its hard to juggle some days, and doubly hard with an infant. However, as Patrick grows older, things get easier. The kids are learning so fast! And it is somewhat of an exhilarating feeling to watch them learn to read and love it, and to know that I helped get them there. Laurie is taking ballet and tap. Christian is taking gymnastics, and really wants to take baseball this spring. We have our Childrens Book Club and now an LDS co-op where we learn all about explorers and another class on herbs, which has been very interesting. We’ve made homemade gingerale, chewed on licorice bark to brush our teeth and sucked on cinnamon bark to warm our bodies – fascinating and a lot of fun. They’re both taking a few co-op classes, such as geography and one of which is a chess class for Christian. Its so funny to listen to him talk about it. His eyes get really big and he’ll tell me that ‘it was so awesome today’ and I’ll ask him if he won, and he’ll say ‘no, not this time,’ but then he’ll still be smiling (huh?!) I think one of the best things about being a parent is discovering who your children are, what they like, what they don’t like, while watching them try new things. From what I’ve narrowed down in Christian he’s very particular, like his daddy, sort of a perfectionist. He speaks very methodically, ‘this happened then that happened, and I did this because of this.’ He enjoys having contact with others, giggling, teasing, wrestling, but he does not like contact sports and he’s not physically aggressive, however he does like to play with his light sabers and his marshmallow gun that Jackson made for him. He’s not an animal person and has little interest in cats, dogs etc, but would like to have a lizard someday. He likes a challenge and I’m amazed by his initiative in reading and piano. He has a budding testimony and will read scriptures on his own and say his prayers, choosing his words very carefully. He asks lots of questions about life and God. He’s also driven a bit with music. I signed him up for piano, because he asked for it, and even though he’s not a prodigy at it, he really enjoys it and will practice daily so he can be ready for his weekly lesson. Christian is both very affectionate and a big tease. He loves almost any sort of game – Chess, Checkers, Zooreka, Go Fish, Phase 10, Old Maid, Memory, Computer games, Video games at the neighbors house. I can see him doing well with sports like baseball, tennis and swimming in the future. And pursuing a sit down career that requires a more studious nature. He’s an absolute delight and we love him.

Laurie is my exuberant one. She is my social butterfly and has too many friends to name. She’s still the one with all the energy and drama in the house. And she knows just how to make new friends at ease, and usually will have them giggling within minutes. She’s a goof to say the least and has taught me a lot about living life. She’s constantly moving, if she’s awake, she’s moving. And even though she’s a bit of a clutz, and very bouncey, she also knows how to move with grace. When she tip-toes or pirouettes on the ballet floor she looks lovely and natural. It seems as though there’s a song in her head at all hours of the day and she simply moves to keep in time. Whenever we get in the car she asks us to put on a girl song. I believe she’ll always have dancing in her life. If you ever sit near her while she’s coloring, you can hear her repeating movie lines from her favorite Disney and Pixar movies, and she’ll laugh and giggle at the punch line every time. It’s the funniest thing, I’ve heard her repeat a whole minute worth of lines, and she’ll throw in the different voices too. And then just laugh – its so cute. I wish I could memorize information that well. She’s still crazy about dogs and horses, princesses and tea parties. She loves to dress up and if she had her way she would be in a dress 24/7. She’s very quick with picking up on reading and math – it almost takes my breath away. She also scares Peter and I a bit, she’s already had her first kiss, and then fainted away like a limp noodle making a bit of a scene in primary. We’ve had to lay down the law and she’s only 5! She loves to play with the boys and will try to get in with them, whatever they’re doing. In fact if I had to describe her in two words it would be – cowgirl/ballerina. I can see her doing just about whatever she wants with her life as long as it involves people and excitement. She is lovely and full of life and we love her.

Gabriel is boy all over, along with the grunts, head-butting and favorite battle weapons. However, he is also my most sensitive and will freeze-up if he feels pressure to perform. We can’t ever put him on the spot, stare at him too long, insist on anything, or be firm with the potty training. He freezes, and it usually takes quite awhile for him to return to normal. Praise works wonders with him, so that’s what we do. He’s very affectionate and would really like a puppy, as he’s told me several times. He’s very good with Patrick and will play with him in a way that only two peas in a pod can. Patrick adores him. Some of Gabe’s favorite things to do are playing in the sandbox, swinging on the swing sets and taking long baths with his battle warrior guys. After the first snow storm, I bundled the kids up and Gabriel was probably the most excited to go outside. However, when we got outside I finally realized why he was so excited. He thought he was going to be able to play in the sandbox. So I humored him, making the best out of it and I opened the sand box for him. Unfortunately, the sand was like rock and the sand toys were frozen under it. He just stood there and cried, it was so sad! Gabriel covets every bit of time he can get with me, since its hard to come by some days. But when its just me and him, we have a lot of fun together and he’s my little sweetie.

Patrick is a sweet baby, and a bit of a squealer when he cries. He’s huge, already 20lbs. He just started eating cereal and he got his first tooth – a molar!??? He LOVES the kids and he has a contagious giggle. He sleeps through the night and loves to take baths. Its almost time to transfer him to the kids room, we’re going to miss him, well, I am anyway :)

Two weeks ago we had a little excitement. The AHA group here asked Peter to come to a basketball game and accept the game ball as part of their Heart awareness initiative. So we all got courtside tickets, dressed up in red to cheer for the Richmond Spiders, (#25 in the nation I found out). And we took the kids to their first Basketball game. It was a lot of fun. The kids were so excited and Christian couldn’t keep his eyes off the court. He probably had the most fun and would go crazy whenever our team scored. During half time we went out to center court and accepted the ball together – something I dreaded, but we all survived. It was a lot of fun!

And yesterday we attended the Kite Festival here in Richmond. The day was beautiful and windy – just perfect for flying kites. Gabriel had the easiest time with his kite, which was so cheap, but the easiest to fly. He just sort of walked around and it floated just above him. Christian and Peter had some fun getting their airplane kite to stay up J And Laurie probably got her kite to fly the highest. Hopefully we can stay here and make this a tradition, we had lots of fun together!

Peter is seriously looking for a job now. We’re not sure where we’ll end up a couple months from now, but we would like to stay here a bit longer. The Hosp where he’s working at is going to keep him employed until he finds a new job, unless of course there’s a shortfall, then he’ll be the first to go. So we’re grateful for that, but a bit nervous too. Please keep us in your prayers if you can.

Missing UTAH!!

A Star Wars Halloween!

2009-11-15T23:45:00.000-08:00

This year was so much fun with the kids. We decided with the kids to dress-up as a family for the ward Halloween party and it was so much fun dressing up and being silly together - I think we'll make it a tradition. We let the kids pick and they picked a Star Wars theme (again!) I think it's the light sabers that really sell the deal. Aside from Darth Vader and Yoda, I made all the costumes, and Gabriel's yoda feet - he loved those and he looked so darn cute in that costume. For Patrick's Ewok costume I cut up a teddy bear, pulled out the stuffing, put Patrick in it and laced it back up. He was adorable!! Christian was Kit Fisto and Laurie was Ahsoka - a talented female jedi.

Patrick, we're so happy to have you!!

2009-11-15T23:30:00.000-08:00

We captured a few pictures of Patrick and the kids as the sun set on a Virginia Fall day. Here's Patrick in the swing - a godsend for sure, what would I do without my robotic rocking machine - I love that swing. Here is a very memorable shot of Patrick on the couch - my 24/7 bed for the first 8 weeks - goodbye couch I'm going back to my hubby to sleep in my own bed - and Patrick, it was fun having you sleep on my belly and next to me in those wee hours of the morning. I'll never forget it, my sweet little midnight buddy.

Went with some of our family up to Monticell0, Thomas Jefferson's home - it was beautiful and fun! Red and orange leaves swirling through the air, the scent of a damp autumn morning with the sun pearing through the clouds, it was lovely. This is a cooky picture, but we had a great day there. Here's Peter and TJ - a real U of U fan it turns out :) And Patrick on his blessing day - a big THANKYOU to all those who made it out for this special day, the pork chops I experimented with and sleeping 12 people in our little townhouse. This is definitely how memories are made!

Baby #4 is finally Here!!! Patrick Paul Kennedy

2009-09-23T10:03:00.000-07:00

Our little Patrick is finally here! He was born September 17th, 2009 Constitution Day at 1:35pm, weighing in at 8lbs 12 ozs, 21.5" long. We struggled to name this little guy, but after a lot of brainstorming and good deal of prayer we decided on Patrick Paul named after Patrick Henry who delivered the famous ‘give me liberty or give me death’ speech which pushed forward the American Revolution and served as Governor of Virginia for 5 terms and did several other things for the great state of VA. St. Patrick who after escaping slavery in Ireland, returned, bringing thousands into Christianity through humble service and preaching the gospel until his death. And, taking into consideration his little ‘Paul head of hair’ and Skousen characteristics, his middle name is after his Grandpa, a man of excellent integrity, passion for patriotism, the written word and big big heart. We are so in love with him, I'm always amazed how fast that happens. The night before I was induced, my OB called to let us know he was going into emergency Appendectomy surgery, so for the fourth time in a row, I have not had my regular doctor deliver the baby. But, despite a little nervousness everything went considerably well, and I have chalked it up as the best Labor and Delivery I've had so far. Patrick is a great eater - definitely a strong Kennedy trait, all my boys have been BIG. His brothers and sister have been really sweet with him. I thought for sure there would be some jealousy with Gabriel, but as soon as Gabriel saw him, he went up to him and pet his head and smiled at him. Since then, Gabriel has continued to be sweet to him. Something I wouldn't expect out of a 2 1/2 yr old mama's boy. Laurie and Christian are very helpful and will run to fetch me whatever I need. Well, he's calling now, gotta run....

Our little girl turns 5!!!

2009-08-23T18:34:00.000-07:00

Our little girl turns 5!!! And what a year its been. She's grown into such a little lady, helping her brothers, socializing with the whole neighborhood - and I mean the WHOLE neighborhood! She helps mommy around the house with dishes and laundry and just about every meal. I'm amazed at how much fun she has with domestic work - I told her that she was going to be the BEST mommy some day - and it was almost as if I had given her the biggest compliment anybody could give, she blushed with pride - it was hilarious, I'm not counting on this attitude towards chores lasting, but I hope it does. She's still our little dancer, and so FULL of energy, she can't sit down for more than a minute before she's up again, dancing around her chair, giving hugs, doing cartwheels next to the dinner table - and I'm not kidding. The other day I threatened to glue her seat to the chair, and that just brought on a million giggles. She loves to perform and memorize lyrics, and has asked Peter and I to attend her performances in the living room. She'll dance and twirl in her tutu and then do fancy bows - its so fun to watch her. I was always too shy as a little girl, I wonder where she gets it? We have to watch her closely after church breaks up on Sunday, she loves to follow her friends and their families out to their cars and a few times we've lost her. She's still crazy about dogs, I went yard sale hopping with her last Saturday and while I looked over the goods, she made conversation with the beagle who was tied up in the yard. And then she talked to the owner for awhile, and before we left I discovered that she had renamed the dog and had told the owner we were going to buy the dog, how much would it be? She is an absolute delight - and the greatest teacher of patience yet :) We love her dearly and life wouldn't be as sweet without her. Happy Birthday Laureana we Love You!!!

Princess Pajama Birthday Party!!!

2009-08-23T15:29:00.000-07:00

Princess Pajama Birthday Party!!! Laurie invited 6 little friends over for a Friday night party to celebrate her 5th Birthday, and she had so much fun with it. She told me later that it was the best day ever. The girls all came in their pajamas and we played a few games, including 'Kiss the Frog' in which , being sterile with the lipstick, we lathered it on, blind folded and twirled them and they puckered up. That one scored lots of giggles and Mr. Frog was covered in kisses before the night was out. Then we played princess slipper relay, in which they needed to hop on one foot with one slipper on, one off, and locate their matching slipper, before the other team had all theirs. That game wasn't as successful since they were so caught up on trying on every pair of princess slipper. We had a princess cake, which Laurie thought was so cool, even though I thought it looked atrocious :) I might as well give up on cake decorating, Jen where are you? She loved it and that's what matters. The girls watched a barbie movie and had pizza and presents before the night was out. Thank you to all the families who let their little princesses attend, Laurie had a wonderful time!!! The last picture is of her sneaking some more cake after all the princesses headed home.

Our Daddy!!!

2009-06-21T22:04:00.000-07:00

A special shout out to our daddy, who we woke from a dead sleep so he wouldn't miss all the fun we prepared for him!! Peter is the silliest, most creative, fun dad. He's also a great example to each of his children, a persistent, hard worker, a very loyal, sincere friend and a best friend of mine. I hope his boys grow to be just like him and his girl(s?) marry someone just like him. Love you honey!!

Virginia Beach

2009-06-21T21:54:00.000-07:00

We went to Virginia Beach while Peter's father Jon, and Sheryl were in town and we had such a wonderful day. Fort Story is a military base which is also the site of the Old and New Cape Henry lighthouses, dating back to 1792. The sand was soft, the weather was perfect. We saw dolphins and tried to lure crabs out of their sand caves with green grapes, they seemed to like those. Christian and Laurie chased the surf for almost two hours, giggling and having a great time together (a rarity at times!) They invented interesting games as they ran up and down the beach and occassionally the waves would catch up with them and they'd scream and holler, getting soaked to the bone. Gabriel avoided the water, as always, and preferred sand castles and burying sand toys, some of which we inevitably lost for good. We really had a great time and I think we all would've gone back the very next day if we could have.

James Town and a Night on the Town, and a shout out to Joe and Heidi

2009-06-21T21:40:00.000-07:00

We were able to visit historic James Town with Jon and Sheryl, and we paid our respects to John Smith, Pocohontas and the early settlers, who many of which gave their lives to participate in establishing Virginia and what was to become the United States. In one of the pictures Laurie is trying to help Gabriel reach the drinking fountain, but he's so heavy and practically as big as her, this picture just makes me laugh. Check out Christian with his stash of sticks in his pocket, souveniers of course. Peter and I were able to steal away for a night on the town while we had overnight baby sitters. The view from our window is of down town Richmond, with the James River winding inbetween the city landscape, if only Capt. Smith could see it now. And a special shout-out to Heidi for remembering Peter's and my Wedding Anniversary :). Peter started his first week of residency wondering if he would make it through the first day without being sick, he was so nervously excited. Everything went fine that first day, but with the new hours and the new pressures, and me without my right hand man, we were both in constant delirium for the rest of the week. Our anniversary was at the end of the week, a beautiful Friday to mark the 7th year we had been married. We collapsed together that night at the dinner table, elated to have the week over and celebrate our surviving it, when Heidi calls to wish us a Happy Anniversary. We both looked at each other, disbelieving that we had both forgotten - which is a good thing, if either of us had remembered and the other forgot, we would've been in worse shape. But both of us having forgotten sent us into to a fit of laughter and we toasted to Heidi that night, and Joe's reliable calendar system. Thanks guys - here's to another year of marriage, and we'll be counting on you next year:)

Fun at the Park and T-ball together

2009-06-21T21:12:00.000-07:00

Had some fun at the park together. Laurie and her little friend played together, and Peter was a goof pushing Christian on the tire swing. Gabriel is still at the age where he'll let me put Laurie's pink hats on him. We signed Laurie and Christian up for the same T-ball team. T-ball is a great sport for this age. Even though they were brother/sister, as soon as they hit the field she was off with her little girl friends, and he was off with the roudy boys, so it all worked out. Laurie was still very much a princess in the diamond and always requested the pink baseball bat, which some friendly parent let her borrow, and of course her pink glove never left her right hand, though it should've been on her left. Christian is a very good hitter with an excellent arm. Gabe had fun watching while he made sure none of Laurie or Christian's juices went to waste while the two were out on the field :)

Laurie and Miss Marnie

2009-06-21T21:00:00.000-07:00

Laurie visited the pony she was able to take riding lessons with last fall, and she was so excited to go. When I told her that I had called Katie and we were going to see Marni (the old-very-tolerant-of-young-children-pony), she put her hands in the air and screamed, score :) She's my little pony girl. She can now gas, break, and turn left and right on the pony, and she rode around a bit without any help. With the baby coming and our lovely little budget I don't think we're going to be able to do this as much as we wanted to this year, but she sure loves it.

Our Little Garden

2009-06-21T20:51:00.000-07:00

We keep a few planter boxes right outside our front door and we have so much fun cultivating the plants we keep in them. Its become a hobby for me and the kids. Every morning we water them together with our little watering cans that need to be filled a dozen times just to water everything. and we check out the new blossoms and cut off old and dead growth. All these plants we grew from seed - straight into the planter boxes almost two months ago. Its amazing to see them sprout and blossom in this lovely humid weather and with the help of a little Miracle-Gro. We planted a modge podge of flowers, basil, cilantro, tomatoes, marigolds and nasturtium with our second crop of peas just appearing. I hope we have this much fun with a real garden some day.

Fun Updates!

2009-05-17T20:28:00.000-07:00

Its been a busy week! What you're actually looking at in the first picture above, with Peter and I, is the very last page of a very long book. Peter just took his very last school exam and we went out to celebrate with some friends. It was certainly the end of a chapter for both of us. Peter starting his residency and I get my husband back in some ways more, in some ways less: whereas now he'll have regular work hours and won't be able to sleep in or take long holiday breaks, but no more late nights and all nighters studying for finals and me twisting my fingers all out of joint just praying he'll squeeze by. And wouldn't you know, he scored straight A's. I sure am proud of my sweetie. The last 7 years of schooling was certainly worth it, but DIFFICULT, I don't even want to think about it, I'm amazed we got through it alive. The next couple of pictures are us in our Easter duds, we finally took some pictures. Daddy did a good job at making Laurie and Christian laugh. And yes, we made Laurie and Christian hold hands, don't ask me why, I don't know why I asked them at the time, but the pictures turned out cute and some sort of metamorphis is taking place in their relationship. Lately the more I've ask them to hold hands (for various things, like this and family prayer), and hugging and making up after quarrels, - the more they're comfortable with each other. Sometimes I'll see them grab each other's hand and do something they're otherwise too nervous to do alone, like go up to the front of the chapel for primary programs, or go into a crowd of people together. Hopefully it puts to rest the whole 'cootie' factor, for awhile anyway :) The last picture is of Christian losing his two front teeth, back to back days. They've both been loose for weeks and finally fell out together. Few things I remember well, but I do remember Christian getting his first two teeth - at 4 1/2 months! And now they're tucked away wherever the toothfairy put them :) That and Santa Claus we haven't been quite truthful with Christian. When he asks if they are real, which he asks for countless other things, like Star Wars and Cowboys, Knights and Aliens, we're always very honest with him. But when he asks about Santa and the tooth fairy, we change the subject, for now anyway :)

Christian turns 6!

2009-05-17T19:27:00.000-07:00

My little boy is 6 years, I can't believe it! He's grown into such a happy, smart little boy. I wish I would've known this as he was passing through the terrible twos and disobedient threes and fours. I hope this stage lasts, he is so fun to be with. We threw a Star Wars Pajama Birthday party for him, one of the least expensive parties he's ever had, and one of the funnest for him and his parents - I like this trend :) Everything was fairly simple: movie Star Wars: Clone Wars PG, pizza, Darth Vader pinata (which I made: newspaper, flour and water - doesn't get cheaper than that!) Even the party favors were inexpensive. And the boys had a blast, they really did. We kept the invitees to six, including Gabriel. And upon arrival they pulled out their light sabers and went at it with each other for the first little while, I wish we'd gotten pictures of that. Nobody was hurt, thank goodness, except for maybe a few of the birthday decorations. Destroying the Darth Vader pinata was so fun to watch. And every single one of the boys added so much to the fun to the party, thank you parents for letting them come. I wasn't able to catch some of them on camera like I wanted, but hopefully your boys had a good time. I'll attempt putting up a You Tube below this post, hopefully I can figure it out :) Earlier we had a family party, and all of Grandmas and Grandpas gifts arrived just in time, Christian was so excited to get what you sent, thank you! He requested a Chocolate birthday cake with a lego castle on top, I tried my best, and he seemed happy enough with it. Six years and OF COURSE like little kids do, he already wants to be seven?!? :) YouTube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLEJcAu-OCo

Shout Out to MOMs - Esp. My Lovely Mother, and Tricia - a new mommy :)

2009-05-06T20:28:00.000-07:00

This Mother's Day I can't help but think of my loving mother, so sweet and special. And my little sister who is a brand new mommy! - And all of my lovely sisters and sister-in-laws who are moms and someday will be moms and my wonderful friends who help me be a better mom by their daily example with their kids. And all those women and friends who may not feel like moms, because they haven't given birth, but have been so special as to give me such kind motherly advice, I would definitely consider them moms too. I am so grateful to all the 'moms' in my life. This shout out is to them - Happy Mothers Day!!! and Thank You for letting me be part of your life :)

SOMEBODY SAID

Somebody said it takes about six weeks to get back to normal after you've had a baby...Somebody doesn't know that once you're a mother, "Normal," is history.
Somebody said you learn how to be a mother by instinct...Somebody never took a three-year-old shopping.
Somebody said "good" mothers never raise their voices...Somebody never came out the back door just in time to see her child hitting the baseball through the neighbors window.
Somebody said you don't need an education to be a mother...Somebody never helped a fourth grader with his math.
Somebody said you can't love the fifth child as much as you love the first...Somebody doesn't have five children.
Somebody said a mother can find all the answers to her child-rearing questions in the books...Somebody never had a child stuff beans up his nose or in his ears.
Somebody said the hardest part of being a mother is labor and delivery...Somebody never watched her "baby" get on the bus for the first day of kindergarten.or on a plane headed for military "boot camp."
Somebody said a mother can do her job with her eyes closed and one hand tied behind her back...Somebody never organized four giggling Brownies (girl scouts) to sell cookies.
Somebody said a mother can stop worrying after her child gets married...Somebody doesn't know that marriage adds a new son or daughter-in-law to a mother's heartstrings.
Somebody said a mother's job is done when her last child leaves home...Somebody never had grandchildren.
Somebody said your mother knows you love her, so you don't need to tell her...Somebody isn't a mother.

Makin' the most of it all :)

2009-04-19T19:19:00.000-07:00

Attended ward campout this last weekend, and had a really fun time. The temp. ranged from 79 during the day and 46 at night, so we bundled close together, which I've always believed that little kids who just want to snuggle, make the perfect space heater, so we were doing good. Had some very generous neighbors allow us to try out their kayak, a future purchase for as far as I'm concerned. It was so nice gliding along in the water, nature all around, turtles sunbathing on the logs. Laurie is unstoppable, in this picture she's helping some strangers take their boat back to the car, what a sweet and funny little girl. Peter and I taught a little class on food storage because this was a preparedness weekend ward campout. We conjured up a packet of info and we received a bunch of great feedback on it. Its not your regular food storage packet, it has some laughs, email me if you're interested in looking at it.

2009-04-19T18:47:00.000-07:00

Went to the Tea Party here in Richmond with a few friends. It was a rainy day, and we were so tempted to just relax at home, but we braved into the cold (Laurie had a cold and was staying with some neighbors) and it turned out to be a fabulous experience. Everyone was so nice and polite, and just simply concerned about the future of our country. It was great! There were about 3500-4000 that showed up at this site - amazing, probably more if there hadn't been rain. We were glad we went, and now we've got even more momentum and a few more friends to plow forward with.

2009-04-19T18:41:00.000-07:00

Signed Christian up for swimming again and he could not be happier. He tries so hard to do everything right and be a good swimmer. I love it when my little buddy is doing something he loves.

2009-04-19T18:33:00.000-07:00

So Laureana is starting a new session of preschool and she's got her backpack and she's ready to go in and I ask to take a picture with her friend, and she pulls out all these poses. She's really trying to pucker up in the picture above, I did not teach her these things - I wonder who did? - Probably TV, its so funny what kids pick up on. She's such a sweet little thing, obnoxious, but sweet, I'll have to keep my eye on her :)

2009-04-19T18:22:00.000-07:00

Easter Weekend was rainy for us (what are the odds out here, I know :>) We ended up having a little ward egg hunt inside our ward building and the neighbors brought potluck, and we cracked open a few pinatas. It turned out to be a whole lot of fun, and the kids had a blast!

2009-04-19T18:12:00.000-07:00

Took the kids and some friends to a little Spring Rodeo activity, they had a blast, what goofs!

Livin' Life

2009-03-15T16:38:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patricks Day on Tuesday! For any who care to know, and I know I'm just throwing myself out there, we really like St. Patrick's day. And we celebrate it maybe a little differently than some. I get so tired of the 'cute' but silly leperachauns and the green Irish beer and all that which has nothing to do with St. Patrick. We picked up a movie about him years ago and while the movie didn't win any Academy Awards, and may be a little over the top in some parts, it was important in telling St. Patricks story and what he did to bring Christianity to Ireland. I definitely recommend it. Its a great piece of history to know, especially if you have ancestors from Ireland. We also eat corned beef and cabbage, green banana cream pie and mashed potatoes, green jello-of course, and we wear green and watch the movie together every year.

Have fun this St. Patricks Day!

I wanted to throw together a few random photos over the last month. We haven't been up to much of anything but livin' life and loving it, the hard and the sad with the lovely and wonderful. I love having the peace the gospel brings, it seems to smooth out the rough edges of life and remind us of why we should be so grateful for what we have. Here are some photos of the kids, Gabe is big into hats lately and I can keep him entertained at the store for awhile just letting him try on hats. Christian and Laurie are doing well. I can't believe she's growing so big, our little girl. She's asked to play soccer and t-ball this year, I bought her a hot pink baseball glove last week - here we go! This family picture is the only photo I could find with Peter and I in it, from the past month, we're behind the camera too much I guess. Anyway, we delivered Valentines to the disabled folks at the Virginia Home. I thought it would be a good way to teach the kids about compassion, but when we got there, the disabled residents were so kind and happy to see us, and sweet with the kids, I think they taught the kids more about loving each other, it was a nice experience.

I bet you thought we took this photo in Utah, we didn't, but it sure felt like we were back in Utah, we got 6 inches in one day, a 13 year record for this part of Virginia. Can you believe the size of that snowman!

Happy Valentines

2009-02-11T13:41:00.000-08:00

Happy St. Valentines!!! I have a little valentine poem to the right as a wish that you may have a lovely Valentines weekend!

Southern Frosty

2009-02-08T08:57:00.000-08:00

We were SuRpRiSeD to received great snowman building snow this year. The kids spent a couple hours at it and built a southern Frosty-the-snowman!

Christian Star Wars Lego Ship

2009-02-08T08:51:00.000-08:00

Here is Christian's Lego Star Wars Republic Attack ship that he received for Christmas. He has spent almost everyday of the last month putting it together bit by bit and finally finished it. He was just beaming with the accomplishment of it all. Good Job Christian!!

The Christmas tree is laid to rest

2009-02-08T08:46:00.000-08:00

This picture has a funny story that goes with it. We finally took the Christmas tree down January 20th or thereabouts and the kids were SO MAD! I couldn't believe it! They even got a little physical with me and Peter, they cried a bit, with real tears, and then insisted that I take this last picture of our Christmas tree before we laid it to rest in the dumpster. Oh Christmas tree oh Christmas tree, how we will miss thee....

Laurie's Dance

2009-02-08T08:29:00.000-08:00

Laurie has continued to beg for dance and gymnastics classes and she just loves them. Shes a busy body at home and dances around the table during dinner, its difficult to keep her in one place. This is the first time the girls used the bar. Laurie loves twirling with the ribbons.

American History Museum

2009-02-08T08:09:00.000-08:00

We had some fun before Peter headed back to school. We visited the newly remodeled American History museum in D.C. and spent the whole day there. Here are the kids having some fun, Gabe and Laurie deciding if those were really Dorothy's slippers, some of the kids in front of George Washingtons uniform and Laurie standing by a real (Presidents Wife) princess dress.

Christmas in Utah

2008-12-28T15:16:00.000-08:00

Had a wonderful Christmas/ Sister's wedding vacation in Utah. The kids were so good, we could've stayed another week - I sure didn't see that coming! It went by like a blur, but we had so much fun with everybody. My favorite part about the whole ordeal, was having the Christmas parties early. Our family party and gift exchange was held a whole week before Christmas, and it left the rest of the week to really celebrate Christmas, build snowman, see lights, dramatize the nativity, and we didn't have to worry about shopping any more. It helped to make Christmas last longer. My second favorite part was to see Tricia 5 months pregnant! She hadn't told a soul until she arrived from Oklahoma! I couldn't believe it! And of course it was so wonderful seeing everybody. My new years resolution is to stay in closer touch with everybody, forgive me if I pester you :)! Please see the slideshow if you have time, we missed a few faces, but we had so much fun and ohhh the snow......

Family Picture

2008-11-09T17:35:00.000-08:00

----------------------------------------------------------------------------So here we are! Aren't we the cutest and 2 out of 3 are smiling in the 5-and-under category. We're sooo photogenic (hah!) Okay, so what you didn't see is that this is the fortieth shot on a second visit to the park. The first visit found Gabriel in the pond COVERED with green seaweed. We sort of blinked, and he took a little dive after the colorful fish. In the end the whole experience was worth it, but it certainly took some effort and patience, thanks Ashley (photographer)! Just below our family picture is another that's not so perfect. I think I'm gritting my teeth and Peter is thinking 'please let this be over soon.' We adore our kids many sides, but we'd rather have their smiles of delight hanging on the wall.

Star Wars

2008-11-09T16:37:00.000-08:00

-------------Hey, well here we are halloweening! The kids chose a Star Wars theme this year and we had a lot of fun with it! Here's Yoda and a Jedi Knight showing off some of their moves.

Kennedy Debut

2008-10-19T16:00:00.000-07:00

You're one of the first to witness the debut of the Kennedy Family online! Finally! Don't expect anything much, but we have a whole lot of pictures to share from the past 5 months. Our kids have grown, taken on new roles and responsibilities such as: the transfering of deco wall art from Laurie to Gabriel, car seats to booster seats, preschool to school, Thomas the Train to Star Wars, Dora to Princesses and Barbies and toddler beds to twin size. So we've all grown a little bit. Peter is in his second to last semester, and it is difficult, but rewarding. Just two days ago he selected the sponsors he'll be interviewing with for Residency next year. Some of the places are closer to home, some are out here and some midwest. By January, at the latest, we'll know where we'll be moving. We keep hoping that somebody gets engaged so that we HAVE to come home for Christmas! Loans are a bit tight, but it won't hold us back forever. Check out the photos! There are a lot, even some on the next page under 'older posts.' But this is the first time I've put them online. Love you all so much!

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-19T15:46:00.000-07:00

--Took the kids to the Pumpkin Patch at Chesterfield Berry Farm, last week. There was a lot more fun to be had than just pumpkins. We had such a fun, relaxing time together. The air was thick with a whole lot of smells; alfalfa, farm animals, apple cider, fresh glazed donuts, but very quiet and peaceful, like a country farm. The experience took me back to when I was little and loved the hay wagon rides. And yes, the kids are playing in a mountain of corn seed, they loved it. It reminded me of the Skousen popcorn kernel food storage plan, for the next thirty years.

Peter's Birthday!

2008-10-19T15:29:00.000-07:00

Celebrated Peter's Birthday John Deere style. And he would like everyone to know that its the same day as Elder Packer's :)!! (He needs the extra points!). Peter had a wonderful birthday, thanks to all those friends and family who made it extra special with thoughtful gifts.

Preparing for Hurricane Hannah

2008-10-19T15:14:00.000-07:00

------------------Hurricane Hannah threatened the Eastern shore late last summer. We've found these warnings to be occasional throughout the Summer. Thankfully the hurricane skitted by Richmond, leaving a torrent of rain, and some Summer fun. Who wants to be cooped up inside? Our creative neighbor fastened a tarp to the lawn and the kids had a BLAST sliding down the slippery slide, in one picture you can see our neighbor sailing across the lawn, past the end of the slide.

Laurie loves horses

2008-10-19T14:51:00.000-07:00

We purchased a few pony riding lessons for Laureana because she's crazy about horses. As part of her lesson she's required to brush the pony and then put on the saddle and bridle (with help) and then, by her cute little self, lead the pony out. She asks all sorts of questions, most of them just make her teacher laugh, and she is very proud of herself as she learns to brake, turn right, then left and kick the horse to move forward. Ye-haw Laurie!

Crazy for Legos

2008-10-19T14:28:00.001-07:00

------------------Christian is crazy for Legos and Knex, and spends time almost every day earning money to buy more. He's very creative, patient and detail oriented, a lot like Peter. He also loves to document and insisted that I take each of these pictures so he could remember his collections and creations. Good Job buddy!

Laureana turns 4!

2008-10-19T13:41:00.000-07:00

--Laureana turns 4! Our little girl is growing up! Laurie has started preschool, is very quick with numbers and letters, very social and friendly with everybody, 'fearless' as described by her little gymnastics teacher, and almost too clever. If she offends or disobeys anybody - teachers, primary leaders, neighbors, mom and dad....she simply puts on charm and gives big hugs until she is forgiven - she milks the adorability factor, and shes been blessed with a cute smile and fun laugh. She's been taking little dance classes, but has recently notified her mother that she can't wait to start soccer and t-ball in the Spring, watch out boys, she's a tough one!

Turning 30!

2008-10-19T13:30:00.000-07:00

Celebrated my 30th, probably the pivot point of my life. For some it is 40, for some 50, but for me it was turning 30. My youth is packaged, freezer tight and buried deep in the earth, I am now old. My parents are so wonderful and sent me a huge, musical birthday card, and on the front was, of course, the number '30' and I cried. It was pretty pathetic, but you see, neither turning 40 or 50 can hurt me now, because I've already let it sink in, I am old. Thank You to all the friends and family who remembered me that 'special' day :)!! I really love all of you, thank you for thinking of me in my old age. They also sent me a gift of a small statuette of a mother cradling her small baby close to her heart, and huddling over her, with her knees up a bit, as if she were protecting her baby from the world, and from danger. This is also very much a part of the life I'm leading now. Its called 'Guardian.' The only thing I asked for on my birthday, was to eat birthday cake on the beach. Here are some pictures of us picnicking on the beautiful untouched beach by Cape Henry lighthouse. That day was so fun. Christian and I hiked to the top of Cape Henry Lighthouse and we looked over the Chesapeake Bay. We played in the sand collecting sea shells, played on the large rocks and even helped a local man go crab hunting. Happy 30th!

More Pictures from Cape Henry Lighthouse

2008-10-19T13:06:00.001-07:00

Visit to Monticello

2008-10-05T19:20:00.000-07:00

Visited Thomas Jefferson's home, Monticello, also found on the back of the nickel. Here is Christian and Laurie holding up their nickels. The ride home was so much fun - the kids were having a great time and this picture captured it all.

Nana and Grand-dad come to Richmond

2008-10-05T18:42:00.000-07:00

Watched the 4th of July Fireworks with Grand-dad and Nana in Washington D.C. -in the rain, of all things. Went together to the Fort Lee monument which inspired 'The Star Spangled Banner' and we sang the song while sitting on the hill in front of the fort- very nice. Attended the reenactment of the Patrick Henry speech 'give me liberty or give me death' at the original church. One of the most amazing reeantments and speeches I have ever witnessed, amazing man!

Colonial Downs

2008-10-05T18:19:00.000-07:00

Went to Colonial Downs with Nana and Grand-dad to watch the horse races. For those who don't know, Laurie has a natural, uncanny love for horses and is taking horse riding lessons at a little pony farm for a great bargain rate.

Camping at Sherando Lake

2008-10-05T17:57:00.000-07:00

Camping at Sherando Lake - what a beautiful place! We definitely give it a high recommendation for anyone who loves camping, the beach, lush greenery and a little bit of fishing.

Three Scoops Each

2008-10-05T17:49:00.000-07:00

We were so sad, after my family left, we had to indulge in some Haagen Daz ice cream - three scoops each and $30 later....(didn't see that coming!) but it was well worth it! And it almost did the trick :) - miss you guys!

Skousens come to Richmond

2008-10-05T17:23:00.000-07:00

Skousen Family comes to Richmond! Spa Morning....Pizza Parlor....Convertibles....Pool Party...

Can't wait for you to come back so we can do it all over again!!

Trip to New York

2008-10-05T17:08:00.000-07:00

Taking the Ferry to see the Statue of Liberty.

Daddy holding Christian with the Empire State building in the background.

Check out Gabe's smile, he melts my heart as does his daddy.

The place where George Washington took the oath of office as the first President of the USA

2008-10-05T16:54:00.001-07:00

Under the Brooklyn Bridge, it was fun to walk across it, thanks Jen.

Jake and Jen blessed their little girl Kate Jacqueline, good job Jake.

Took the kids to see the Lion King on Broadway...they loved it but fell asleep during the last little bit...it was way past bedtime.

Christian, Josh and Jackson.....Los Tres Amigos!

Virginia Beach

2008-10-05T08:34:00.000-07:00

Soaking up the hot sun...Crunching down on sandy sandwhiches...Breathing in the Atlantic sea breeze...

(right) Dodging the waves with the kids... (Thought I would submit this to the travel journal 'happy father spends qualtity time with kids' what do you think?)