Tyson is 5!!

Derick took Tyson to his first Husker football game on his birthday!! I think Derick was just as excited to take T as T was to be going!

One request Tyson had was to meet "Go Big Red". We keep telling him that his name is "Lil Red" but Tyson insists on calling him "Go Big Red"!!

Tyson with cousin Ava. Their birthdays are 1 year apart by a day! Hers is 11/4 and his is 11/5! We have had several joint parties for them! The more the merrier!!

A few pictures from the summer so far

Tyson with Kim's cousins Austin and Jackson in Arapahoe, NE

The Peters cousins: Braxton, Carson and T

Tyson with McKenzie-Kim's long time college friend Lindy's daughter

What our backyard looks like on the weekends this summer when we're home!

Tyson and Marty (the zebra) on our way to Minneapolis in June

Summer 2011 So Far

I can't believe it's the middle, almost end actually, of July already!! Time sure flies when you're having fun!!

Our summer started off with a trip to Arapahoe and North Platte over Memorial Day. My grandparents gave us the swing set that has been in their backyard for the past 13 years so we headed west to pick it up. We stopped in Arapahoe Friday night to see my Aunt Denise and Uncle Johnny and their new house. Derick fell in love with the small town and was trying everything he could to get me to say we could move there someday! He had the rest of our lives in Arapahoe planned out by Friday night!

Saturday morning we headed to North Platte to get the swing set and spend time with my grandparents. It was fun to be the only guests at their house (many times when we go to NP it's for a holiday so there is a ton of family around) and have the one on one time with them since we don't see them often. Grandma made us noodle soup and chicken salad in cream puffs, something that is generally reserved for when lots of family or my aunts and uncles visit her! Those are 2 of my favorite things in the world to eat! Saturday evening our friends Lindy and Curtis who now live in Tulsa but were back in NP for the weekend as well came over to my grandparents. We had a nice visit with them and Tyson and their daughter Kenzie (who is about 15 months old) had fun running around in the yard.

We packed up and headed back to Waverly Sunday and then went down to spend Sunday and Monday with Derick's parents in Elk Creek. Derick's brother Sean was in town with his 2 boys while his wife Missy ran a marathon (I think in Wyoming). The boys had fun playing and running around on the farm!

The end of June we traveled to Minneapolis for a family wedding on Derick's side. This was the longest trip we've taken (driving) with Tyson. It took us about 7 hours including stops. We all made it there alive and speaking to each other to we considered the drive a success! Saturday before the wedding we hit up the Mall of America which has an amusement park; Nickelodeon Universe inside. Tyson braved one ride but didn't like it so stuck to the train rides and arcade. That afternoon was the wedding and reception then up Sunday morning for the long drive home! It was a good weekend and we always have so much fun with my mother-in-law's cousins.

The weekend of July 4th took us to Derick's parents house and then we came back to Waverly. Our neighborhood has an annual block party over the 4th. A couple at the end of our cul-de-sac provide a bounce house, a band, and a semi-professional fireworks show bringing hundreds (literally) of people into our area. Tyson had fun playing and swimming with the neighbor kids and watching the fireworks...the very loud firecrackers were another story :)

The next weekend we went to KC to see my family and have a Derick and Kim Day-o-Fun while Tyson stayed with my parents. Derick and I went to the Legends Mall and did a little shopping, had dinner and played games at Dave and Buster's then went back to the hotel and did something we haven't done in MONTHS...watch a movie in peace and quiet from beginning to end!! It was wonderful!! We had fun hanging out just the 2 of us and will cherish the time before baby #2 comes along!!

Speaking of baby #2...we found out that it is a GIRL! I am SO excited. I really still don't believe it's a girl so at my next ultrasound I'll be having her re-confirm the sex for me!! Tyson is excited to be a big brother to a little sister!! I'm 20 weeks today and just starting to feel the baby move a little. I forget what a weird feeling it is!! I'm hoping the next 20 weeks go fast...I'm ready to get the "having 2 kids" party started!!

Well I'm sure I forgot something we did so far this summer but that happens...I joke that this baby is taking all my good brain cells! I better get off the computer and check on the Monster Cookies I have in the oven!

Big News

This is a picture Tyson made at school the day after we told him that he's going to be a big brother. To the lower right under the umbrella (yes, that's what it is) are four 'people'. He said it's "Mommy, Daddy, Me and my the baby in Mommy's tummy." It was too cute not to save!

Obviously I didn't believe it. I took the non-digital tests first and was shocked that there were two lines so of course I had to make sure by spending $20 on the good tests! I'm still not sure the fact that I am pregnant has set in!

My doctor does an ultrasound at every appointment so we saw the heartbeat already! The baby really just looks like a blob right now so I didn't post the ultrasound picture. I'm about 8 weeks pregnant with due date of December 3rd. I will have a scheduled c-section at some point the week prior.

Scoring another goal!!

Yes, I'm very proud!! It was just so cute to see him out there! I can't believe he is old enough to be playing organized sports!!!

Tyson scoring the first goal of the game!!

Today was Tyson's very first sporting event!! He had his first soccer game with the Green Gators! Tyson did awesome and I am not just saying that since he's my kid! He was the only one on his team to score goals! I'm not sure how many he scored, I was too busy yelling at him to steal the ball away from the other team! Ha! Who knew I was going to be the loud crazy mom on the sidelines!! He had SO much fun today and he's so excited to play more games!

More random pictures

My mom got Tyson this shirt. It is just like the shirts Grandpa Gary wears! Tyson put it on and said, "I LOOK LIKE GRANDPA GARY!!!" He was so excited about it!

Oscar Peters came to check out the new house for a few hours. Once we have a fence put up, he will move here from the farm.

Tyson and he friend Evelyn with crazy baloon hats at a St. Patrick's Day carnival.

In his daddy's patrol car!

Tyson and Santa over the years

I decided from the first Santa/Tyson picture on that I WOULD get a picture of my child with Santa EVERY year. As you can tell, I'm 3 for 5 in that battle. 2008 and 2009 pictures just weren't going to happen since Tyson wouldn't go anywhere near the display where Santa sat in the mall! So here are the 3 pictures I do have. It's fun to see how he's changed over the years...Tyson, not Santa :) Actually, the first 2 Santa's are the same guy. Tyson was literally jumping up and down with excitement this year when he met Santa!

2010 (4 years)

2007 (1 year) My favorite picture of the 3.


2006 (1 month)

More pictures

Tyson and Derick after putting some lights on the deck

Fun on the snowy slide!

The "coolest gingerbread house I ever saw!"-Tyson Peters

Mom and Dad with their grand kids. Christmas 2010

Some pictures from the last few months

I first made Derick and my stockings for us in 2003. Instead of buying new one's when Tyson and Oscar came along, we decided to make them again for the boys. They are kind of lame but sentimental.

Tyson and Santa (Great-Grandpa Cantral)

The tree and all the gifts for the Cantral Christmas

Our first real tree in our new home!

Us (not the best picture in the world) in front of our first tree! Tyson had a blast running from tree to tree trying to find the perfect one! I could have stayed out there all day looking for the perfect one too!

Long time, no blog!

Yikes! I haven't been on here for a while! We haven't had too many exciting things happen since we bought the house in November.
Derick just had shift bid last week. He will be on 2nd shift again (4pm-2am) in Waverly but with THURSDAY-SATURDAY off! WOO HOO! Summer, here we come! We are so happy he was able to get these hours/days off! We haven't been to my parents since October and only to his parents once since Thanksgiving!
We did go out to North Platte for Christmas Eve-we drove out that morning and back the same night but it was worth it. I love going to my Grandma and Grandpa Cantral's for traditional Christmas Eve mass, food and the craziness of the gift opening with all the people there! This year my Grandpa put on his old Santa suit and handed out presents. It was SO fun to see Tyson's excitement and it was really special to get some pictures of Tyson with his only living Great-Grandpa!!
We hosted Christmas Day here at our house...it included my family and Derick's family. We had several other people in and out through the evening. I love having the space to hold more than one family of 3!
New Year's Day we hosted a party with our friends here at the house. It was fun to get together and see people we haven't seen in a while!! All the kids played really well together and ranged in age from 4 years old to 3 1/2 weeks old!
Tyson is signed up for soccer and tee-ball this Spring and Summer. I can't wrap my head around him being old enough to start playing sports!! He is just growing up way too fast!! He was supposed to have his first soccer game tomorrow but was canceled due to snow in the forecast. I am not complaining since he's got an ear infection and it is supposed to be a high of 30 tomorrow! Pictures and video will be posted after the first game!
Tyson is so funny and has the funniest things to say! I need to start writing them down (appropriate or not) and post some of them on here! He is pretty entertaining and I wish we could video tape him 24/7 to catch everything funny he says!
Derick will be going to Florida for his 2 week annual training the last week of April and first week of May.
We have 2 weddings back to back in May. Derick's cousin is the first and then my close friend from college, Jessi's is the week after. I am a bridesmaid and Tyson is the ring bearer. I can't wait to see him in his little tux! Hopefully his attitude will change about the wedding before the day of. When I tell him he's going to be the ring bearer he says, "No I'm not." as matter-of-fact as can be!
I really enjoy my job with American Family. It was the best choice I could have made! The commute is a little lengthy and with gas prices so high I cringe when filling up once a week, but it's all worth it since I'm very happy with this agency.
Well, I guess that's about it. Can't think of anything else that has happened since November. We look forward to being able to travel on the weekends again and hopefully see lots more family and friends regularly this summer!