Welcome Christmas Season

We’re now getting into the holiday season. Rachel has been excellent at maintaining fun Christmas traditions for the family. So far we’ve taken the kids to Winter Wonderland at Tilles Park, where they have thousands upon thousands of Christmas lights decorating the park. Walter even enjoyed looking at all the lights.

Then the kids enjoyed St. Nick’s Day, where they leave their Christmas wish lists in their boots by the front door, and Santa comes by to pick up their wish lists, replacing them with boots full of candy. It’s quite adorable when they are so eager to show us the treats St. Nick has left them.

Still to come is the ward Christmas party, and although it’s not related to Christmas, Rachel’s birthday is nigh approaching. We’ll also be holding our own family Christmas party as well as it gets closer. 

In other news, with Rachel’s  new calling into the primary presidency and mine in the bishopric now, we felt the need to get a 2nd vehicle. So recently we got a 2008 Honda Civic hybrid for me to be able use without tying up the car, or inconveniencing Rachel with unnecessarily loading all the kids for early morning meetings, just to drop me off. We both hope and pray it will end up being as reliable as the Pilot has been.

First Loose Tooth

Happy Thanksgiving! The hectic mess of the last few weeks, particularly on the weekends, has made it quite difficult to leave an update. But today is Thanksgiving, & it's time to bring things up to speed.

A couple weeks ago we got family pictures taken, & I was pleasantly surprised how well behaved all the kids were. We're sending out Christmas cards with them on it, which is another reason we took them. Rachel, as always, was great at getting the appointment and our clothing well organized.

Annalyn finally lost her first tooth! From what I've been told she's a bit late in losing her first tooth, but who cares. I'm sure she'll still lose them all before too long.

We had to encourage her to wiggle it more once we saw that the new one had already erupted behind it. Once it was close enough Rachel tried a couple of times to give it a good yank, but t no avail. Finally, when Annalyn was brace enough to let her daddy try, it finally came. She got to put it in her tooth necklace and show it off to friends at school. And the tooth fairy brought her a couple hair toys and some chocolate coins.

Crazy Declan...Rachel thought she heard the microwave running downstairs one day so she ran down to see if her middle child had been playing with it. Sure enough, Declan had filled it with paper towels and fired it up. Luckily she heard it and was able to intervene before the house potentially burned to the ground.

 Now to add more drama to poor Rachel's life: she recently got rear-ended while driving home from helping me at work with our annual security check. Luckily it wasn't anything serious, but they exchanged information any way. She was a nice lady and felt extra bad once she realized the kids were in the car too. Rachel ended up with a miserable case of whiplash that evening, which persisted for a couple of days, but she seems to be over it now...maybe I should ask her...

Annalyn's progress report from school came in and we're so happy with how well she's doing. She's well over 90% in all subjects, with several being 100%. She's made great improvement in her reading and writing, and her math skills have always been strong.

And this past Sunday I received another new calling - the 4th within the last 3 months: I'm now the 2nd counselor in the bishopric, replacing Bro. Richardson, who recently moved out for work. As a result, I'm being released from being a Sunday school teacher, 2nd counselor in the stake Sunday School presidency, and I'll no longer be able to serve as an ordinance worker in the temple. 

Rachel also received a new calling: she's the new secretary in the primary presidency. The president, Sis. Horn, has already been greatly impressed at the volume of work that Rachel's put in, and has been so grateful to have her help.

Now, it is time to get up, and enjoy our Thankgiving holiday!

Super Trunk or Treat

We were able to go to Sullivan Farms for Family Home Evening while Rachel's mom was still out before she had to leave on Wednesday (Rachel also treated her with a trip to the fabric store before she left). It was Walter's first time where he could enjoy himself, and did he ever! He loved the train ride and the wagons most of all.

On Saturday we went to the stake (yes, stake) Trunk or Treat. I have never been to one so large before. It was estimated that about 500 people showed up for it, despite how cold it ended up being. 

The kids had a bit of a hard time with the cold when we were outside, and with the length of time before they actually started it. The numerous games set up were lots of fun, but it was all still a bit too overwhelming for them.

Finally the time came to go out for the Trunk or Treat. All the kids, including Walter, had a blast. But again, it was so large, that they got cold and tired enough to want to stop before they had even finished. They all took in a pretty good haul though. By the time we got home, they were beat.

Also, Rachel and I both got new callings this week. She was made the secretary in the primary presidency, and I'm the new 2nd counselor in the stake Sunday School presidency. Looks like our schedules are about to get quite busy, to put it mildly.

Party Like a Mormon Millennial

Rachel's mom, Brenda,  flew out on Tuesday evening to visit for a week. Everyone has been looking forward to it. She has always been fun for the kids and helpful around the house. Rachel prepared so well for her arrival while I've been at work, despite the kids' best efforts to continually plunge the house into disarray.

They've already been able to visit the botanical gardens & Grant's Farm, with plans to see Sullivan Farms and more this coming week before she leaves Wednesday evening. 

Yesterday we cleaned and prepped all day for the youth I teach in Sunday School to come over for a barbecue. We ended up having: Sam Horn; Hans, Emma & Lilli Larsen; Rowan, Iris & William Wilson; Mike, Adair, Jacob, Hannah, Jordan & Rebecca Von Hall; Kevin, Carmen, Dallin & Gracie Lake; Reva, Brandon & Melissa Gomes; & Ashleigh Judd. Everyone seemed to have a great time, enjoying the barbecue, the fire, the s'mores, the basement (younger kids) and the company. 

Tonight is a temple training that I need to attend for a few hours. Luckily Rachel's mom is here to be able to help put the kids to bed. I'll miss them - family has become more precious as I've been serving in the temple each Friday evening.

Wiggly Tooth & Indian Summer

So the weather has had a couple of dips into the 50's & 60's, but it keeps coming right back up, hanging on to near 90 temperatures - and October is half way over! We only have tree that's beginning to change. This morning is plenty cool, which is nice. But by this weekend we'll still be looking at almost 80 degrees. Rachel and I assume that the contestant fluctuation is the reason behind Walter's mild cold that he's come down with.  Hopefully is clears up soon, so he can enjoy the fall season with better nights' sleep.

Annalyn has her first loose tooth! It's looking like it's still a ways away before it comes out, but she is so ecstatic. She had been reading about how Fancy Nancy had lost her tooth and she was dying to loose a tooth herself. Well Annalyn, the time has finally come! 

Serving in the temple continues to be a blessing for me self, as well and the family. I've gotten to the point where I've done almost everything in the temple, and feel comfortable with the wording. Each week I look forward to Friday nights. It's the best way to start off the weekend.

Rachel and I enjoyed a fun evening out for our date last night. We went to Kobe, a Japanese steakhouse and enjoyed quite the show. Our chef was very lively and funny! We laughed, enjoyed great food, and created happy memories that will last a very long time. Plus, Rachel was finally able to catch a shrimp in her mouth!

Conference Weekend

We enjoyed watching General Conference this weekend. Probably the most memorable aspect of this conference was that Elder Hales passed away between the Sunday Sessions. Elder Andersen gave a great talk at the conclusion of the conference with part of Elder Hales talk that he had written, had his health permitted him to speak. It was very touching.

We finally got rid of a nasty yellow jacket nest along the back of our house, so we got to get back outside and get the yard cleaned up - and get eaten alive by mosquitos. It always has to be something...

Autumn should hopefully arriving soon, along with Rachel's mom, who is coming out to visit for a week. We're looking forward to Brookdale farms again and all the other fun fall activities we can do as a family.

Dolphins, Dinosaurs & Lincoln

We made it back from Chicago! We all had a crazy, great time visiting the Shedd Aquarium, the Field Natural History Museum, and Springfield, Illinois to see Abraham Lincoln's home, tomb and a museum about him.

We decided to split up the stops in Springfield to some on the way up, and some on the way back. On our way up on Monday we visited Lincoln's home and tomb. We've seen them before, but something about his tomb I still find very venerational.

Upon our arrival to Chicago, we first went to the aquarium and the kids had an absolute blast. Their favorite part by far was the dolphin show. So, of course, we had to stop by the dolphin show gift shop right next to it to get a fuzzy pink dolphin for Annalyn and a shark for Declan.

After lunch there, we headed over to the Field Museum to catch a special exhibit of Jurassic World, we they had state-of-art dinosaur animatronics that turned out to be quite impressive.

 

They had at least 7 full scale dinosaurs moving around, as well as a replica of the creation lab from the movies that had real props that we could get our hands on. Declan ate it up. Annalyn still got scared a few times. And of course - another gift shop. 

And then I got sick...

On the way back we stopped to visit the Lincoln Museum, once again in Springfield. One of the most enjoyable parts is a small live theatre stage that involves ghostly special effects. He talks about the importance of studying the past to help us understand who and where we are today. 

The slandering they did to Lincoln during his campaign seemed surprisingly familiar to what is still done today by the public and the media. It really made me feel that there really is no piety in politics - if there is, it's only political. On the other hand. The depiction of what he went through in the Civil War and with signing the Emancipation Proclamation, really helped bring a sense of reverence to his death, as they displayed a replica of his casket in the capital.

Overall, it was a wonderful trip, and we made it home safely. Now it's just a matter of shaking off the last bit of this cold...

In Chicago

We made it safely to Chicago! Tonight will be our first night here. We broke up the drive by stopping in Springfield to see Lincoln's home and tomb.

We tried a Chicago stuffed crust pizza for the first time (by accident) for dinner and were surprised by the sheer amount a of inside. Finally, after a good swim in the hotel's remarkably warm pool, we got the kids to eventually settle down and everyone was able to quiet down enough for Walter to fall asleep.

Earlier this week, work proved challenging with a customer accusing my assistant, Rob, of stealing, and the security footage making his actions questionsble at best. A verdict about a police officer shooting a black man upset the community enough to have workers and schools shut down early and the national guard on hand to lock down downtown St Louis.

Other than that, this past week has felt clam enough, like most other weeks, with fall steadily growing closer and general conference just around the corner. Here's to hoping everyone is able to sleep well enough outside of their normal, familiar environment.

Change in the Season

Autumn is quickly arriving. The temperature has dropped and the painting of leaves is sure to follow soon. This is by far my favorite time of year. The temperature, the colors, the holidays...I'm so glad we live somewhere that it lasts more than 2 weeks.

One more week of work and we'll be on vacation! We are heading up to Chicago again for the aquarium and the natural history museum. Plenty of pictures to come.

Rachel has been happier as she's been running each morning. She finds it very effective at not only staying healthy and in shape, but relieving stress as well. Maybe I should take a cue and do some excercising myself.

Annalyn had yet another visit to the dentist. This time to get her latest 2 cavities filled. Luckily she's getting use to the dentist; she's getting more and more brace with each visit. It went well too: no unexpected expenses, and the kids didn't give Rachel an ulcer! 

Happy Labor Day

Yesterday was Labor Day - so glad to have the day off from work! 3-day weekends are always welcome, as they don't seem to come often enough.

The weather has been cooling off, but yesterday was one more randomly hot day as it hit 93 instead of the upper 70's that is has been lately. It made for an enjoyable day at the park for the ward picnic (until everyone was simply through with the sun) and for the kids to come home to sprinklers and popcicles. 

For the first time now too, I'm trying to batch out some cutting blocks to sell; I'm making more of the same type I made for Rachel. All that walnut was quite expensive, but with the price point I should be able to make something off of it. Rachel and I are wanting to finally get my feet wet to see how feasible it would be to invest some time and resources into a woodworking side gig. Who knows? We'll find out hopefully writhing the next couple of weeks.

Walter is finally cutting tooth number 5 and 6! He seems to be a late bloomer when it comes to teeth. He was also late crawling, but fast walking, so maybe his teeth will all come in at once!

A Flower Up the Nose

So Declan decided to make our weekend extremely interesting. When cleaning up the toys Thursday evening, he stuck a toy flower up his nose, which he never told us about - we just noticed it when brushing his teeth. 

We tried getting it out ourselves - no luck. Rachel took him to the pediatrician - no luck. We then tried with an otolaryngologist (ENT) - no luck. We had to take him to he hospital. 

After 3 days of appointments, we had an early morning appointment to put him under and they were able to quickly take it out. It would've been just as simple for us, but as a 3-year-old, it's impossible for Declan to hold still. No more Playmobil toys.

He came out a talkative little trooper. Hopefully he's learned his lesson and won't stick anything else up his nose.

Solar Eclipse

Today we got to see a  solar eclipse! They've referred to it as the Great American Eclipse as it spanned across the entirety of the continental US. At 1:18pm, we were in the path of totality in a park next to the temple and we got to see the sun completely blocked by the moon. We saw one bright star (which was presumably a planet) and felt the temperature drop about 10 degrees. As it approached the light all around turned to an other-worldly pinkish hue. Finally it happened. The light dispersed, a star came out, and the brilliance of the sun's corona stretched across the sky. The bluish, pinkish streaks of light eminating from behind the moon was truely astronomical and beautiful. It was as though the heavens came down to let us see them, almost within hand's reach. 

Annalyn was able to watch with her class at school, which she loved. Declan and Walter were with us. Luckily we were able to wait in the car as it was so hot out.

Earlier this week too, on Saturday, Rachel and I got the opportunity to visit the King Tut exhibit at the St Louis Science Center.

We had tried before a few weeks ago with the kids, but that turned out to bedisastrous, as the crowds and the dark was too much for them, Walter in particular.

But going back was well worth it. Everything that was discovered in his tomb had been recreated. I even found out the ancient Egyptians used dovetails in some of their woodwork! Full-sized shrines, all 3 coffins and the death mask, hoards of treasure and  artifacts were amazing to see. The scale of his burial was very surprising to see all at once.

He was even buried with thrones and chariots!

We feel lucky to live where such world-class exhibits come on such a regular basis.

In other news this week, Annalyn has just gotten over a cold, to which she has passed on to both her brothers. We're not looking forward to what we assume will be a night filled with crying, runny noses, and headaches. We will be praying hard tonight.

New School Year

Annalyn started school on Wednesday with her new teacher, Mrs. Bowman. Declan started today. They both have been getting more and more antsy for school to start. Luckily, the time is finally here. Annalyn already likes her teacher and has been acting better at home having school again.

On Monday, they both had appointments with the dentist and it was the usual...Annalyn had 2 cavities and Declan (our little candy lover) didn't have any. Sometimes life just isn't fair. It ended up being about twice the cost too from what we were expecting, so we'll be looking for a new pediatric dentist.

Rachel can now enjoy a little quiet time when the kids are at school and Walter goes down for a nap. We're both hoping that it will relieve some stress that the crazies have been building up all summer.

Welcome Back

And life continues onward. Family has grown, and hopefully so have the individual family members. 

Just a couple of months ago Rachel and I celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary. Annalyn is 6 years old and preparing to start 1st grade this week, Declan is our lively 3 year old, and our newest addition is our son Walter, who just reached his 1st birthday just one month ago.

For the Independance Day weekend we went out to Utah to visit both sides of our family. On that Saturday was the Peck family reunion, and Sunday was the Jones family reunion. It had been three years since seeing everyone.

Now, we're gearing up to move, most likely in the spring. We're freshening up the house and looking a little at homes in St. Charles County at hopes of finding a top-notch school for the kids.

Recently I have started working at the St Louis temple as an ordinance worker, a choice experience for service, spiritual fulfillment, and enlightenment.

Our ward was recently combined with our previous ward, the Hazelwood Ward, and 2 weeks later we were part of the organization of a brand new stake, the Hazelwood Stake. 

Looking forward, I hope to keep a better record of our completed clan, the Peck family.