Jacob Alan Peterson

Thirteen years ago I became a grandma for the first time. I was so excited for this new role and have loved every minute of it. Jake was my first grandbaby. He was such a cute little guy and has continued to be a handsome young man.

Jake is the oldest child in his family. He is very responsible, both at home and at school. In school his favorite subjects are math and orchestra. Jake plays the violin in the school orchestra. He also has taken piano lessons from me for the past five years. His musical talent shines through in his performances at our recitals.

Jake is a competitive swimmer. This activity makes him very strong. It is a thrill to watch him swim. His strokes are fluid, and he hardly makes a ripple in the water. (Watch out, Micheal Phelps!!)

This is Jake's first year of middle school. He attends West Jordan Middle School. In elementary school, for 5th and 6th grade, Jake was involved with the student news team in charge of daily morning announcements. Jake took the role of anchorman as well as the camera man behind the scenes. As he moves on to high school in the future, he would like to be involved with the swim team.

A fun activity that Jake likes is going to Lagoon with his Aunt Melanie. Last Christmas Melanie gave Jake a season pass to Lagoon, and the two of them had a blast this summer going on the rides and camping out at the KOA nearby on the night before their adventure.

Jake is a diligent young man who always tries to do the right thing. He has a strong sense of self and follows his conscience. He has a wonderful smile (including braces) and a kind and thoughtful disposition.

Happy 13th birthday, Jake (tomorrow). You are such a good example to your younger brother and sister.

Nicole

Nicole Ferguson is my adorable granddaughter. She recently turned 11 years old and is in the fifth grade. Nicole is a beauty, and she has a sparkling, outgoing personality to match.

Nicole is a good student in school. She is well-liked and has lots of friends. In any situation, she makes friends easily. Nicole is a happy girl, and her enthusiasm for life is contagious.

One of the things that Nicole does so well is DANCE. She is an absolutely terrific dancer. I think she has some "dancing genes" from her Grandma Nancy. We have watched Nicole in dance recitals, and she stands out in the group with her talent. (I am not just saying this because I am the Grandma.) She puts her entire self into the dance, and you can tell from her facial expressions that she is completely immersed in her role. It is a joy to see Nicole dance.

Nicole is a very sensitive and kind-hearted girl. If she thinks that anyone (or any animal) is being mistreated, she is right there with caring and support. One time when Nicole was at our home, we found a little kitten wandering around our yard. We brought the kitten in our garage and gave it some food and milk. A little while later, I could see that Nicole was upset and had tears in her eyes. She said that she was worried that the kitten was too cold. We eventually found the kitten's owner, and Nicole was feeling better about the fate of the kitten.

Nicole's family loves to go boating on the weekends they can get away. They just purchased a new boat. Both Nicole and her brother Bryce are excellent water skiers.

Nicole has a lot of confidence. She is very self-assured. In one of my piano recitals, I had the kids introduce themselves and the pieces they would be playing. Nicole was completely at ease in front of the audience as she introduced herself.

It comes as second nature to Nicole to show love and affection. She always gives me a big hug when I see her, and she tells me that she loves me. What a sweet and loving granddaughter! How lucky I am to have her in my life.

Derek Ryan Peterson

Derek Peterson is my ten-year-old grandson. He is a fifth grader in elementary school and especially does well in math class. He is a very social young man and has lots of friends. He would also be called a "girl magnet". Derek certainly doesn't lack for attention from the opposite sex!

Derek looks very much like his dad, Alan. He has Alan's similar even temperament as well. His mannerisms are so much like his dad that I had to smile when I saw him today participating in his LDS Primary Program. He looked like a young "Alan" as he spoke his parts and sang the songs.

Sports is a huge part of Derek's life. He knows all about the players' lives on his favorite sports' teams and the statistics surrounding their performances. He plays on baseball and basketball teams in West Jordan and has been on winning All-Star teams at the end of the season. Derek has played catcher and pitcher as well as an outfielder. Lately, he has much improved his batting average because he has starting wearing glasses and can now see the ball more clearly! He looks very sharp in his new glasses.

Derek has been taking piano lessons from his Grandma Moore for several years. He especially likes to play lively pieces for our recitals, "Star Wars" being one example.

Some unusual things about Derek are: He doesn't like chocolate and he doesn't like going on rides at the carnival or Lagoon.

Derek is a joy to be around. He is polite. He is enthusiastic. He is a model student. I am proud that he is my grandson.

Megan

Megan is the daughter of Natalie (my daughter) and Alan Peterson. She is six years old and in the first grade. Megan is a good reader, and she loves school. She is very social and makes friends easily.

Once a week, Megan attends tumbling classes. She really likes to do cartwheels and is quite good. She loves candy and mostly anything sweet (like her Grandma Moore).

Megan is a very optimistic child. She seems thrilled to start each new day. She also always tells us "thank you" when we have done anything nice for her. One day I was with her when she was trying on clothes at a store. She said, "Grandma, isn't this special, just the two of us together. Thank you for bringing me here!"

Megan just lost her first tooth. She thought the Tooth Fairy was kind of stingy because she only got one dollar for the tooth! (I remember getting 25 cents when I was a young girl.)

If you go into Megan's bedroom, you are at once assaulted by stuffed animals. She loves them. She also likes to play board games.

One of Megan's favorite people in the whole world is Aunt Melanie. Aunt Melanie invites her over for sleepovers and takes her fun places. Megan also likes Melanie's cat named Loser.

Megan is a sweetheart and a bright shining star in my life.