Carson had such a great first Christmas! He got to hang out with his cousins....as you can see getting them all to sit under the tree and pose for a picture in their matching sweatshirts from Grandma is a Christmas miracle in itself. 
Carson also went on his first Merry Go Around at the mall and it was a huge hit!! 
Snow is a rare occurrence in Wash, but we got virtually snowed in. It was a lot of fun! Carson attempted to build a snowman with Daddy. 
Here is the whole fam. My how we have grown just last year. Three new babies, one on the way, and Christine and Trav to be married next year. 2008 was quite a year!
Sledding was his all time favorite activity though. We are excited to take the sleds out now that we are back in Utah. Carson giggled all the way down, the faster it went and the more you let go, the more excited he got. In fact, he even helped his cousin get over his fear of sledding.
It was a great trip and we can't wait to make it back up to the Northwest!
I will update with pics after I get home so I can download on my computer...BUT, Carson and I arrived safely in Washington on Thursday morning following a big storm here. We arrived right in the window in between crazy storms where roads and bridges and stores were all closing down.
We have mostly been snowed in with the fam...but having a great time! Carson LOVES his cousins.. All the sudden he is not the baby anymore, there are two younger than him and he is the 'big boy' who plays with Shawn jr. They are all over the place together, Shawn even had him playing "clone wars' yesterday and Carson took him on with his light saber "wooden spoon" and began mimicking the sound effects.
Carson has been singing A LOT, trying to walk, and having the greatest time. We are hoping and praying Daddy will be able to fly in as the airport has closed intermittently. This is the most snow that Washington has seen since I was Carson's age. But if there is one thing we can not control it is the weather so we are just having a good time and hoping for the best.
See everyone soon!
Some days I get tired of being the person who always moves out of the way in the grocery store while saying 'excuse me' only to have the other person barrel past me like I should not have been in the same aisle.
Some days I get tired of waiting patiently for traffic to merge while watching countless people almost sideswipe me and cut me off in their attempt to get ahead.
Some days I get tired people unwilling to assist in the stores they work at because they are too busy stocking shelves. The same shelves I am trying to look at. I feel like I am inconveniencing them when I wait patiently for them to move out of the way so I can select the item that I actually want to purchase.
Who are these people?
I guess some days are just bad days. Good thing there are a lot of good days to balance things out a bit.
Although if you are in the same aisle with me today I will tell you now....I am not moving out of the way! It is your turn.
Can you believe it? Mister is going to be one year old in one month! Updates:
1.5 teeth
Pulling himself up on anything
Favorite food: Jamba Juice-after the first time he had it, he recognizes the cup and freaks out! He has had it twice now
Favorite game: Peek a Boo or anytime you scare him
Loves to hum along while you sing
Loves it when you count and point...he starts pointing and going "do do do"
Scared of: washing machines, the beep trucks make while backing up, vacuum cleaner
--these noise fears are recent but it is so cute because he crawls to us as fast as he can and buries his head in our lap. Since they are doing construction behind our house this happens frequently. We have to hide the vacuum, otherwise he can not concentrate on anything except staring it down. Occasionally, he will approach it, touch it and then take off crawling as fast as he can. The daredevil.
Current weight: ALMOST 17 lbs.. but seriously, he eats ANYTHING!
Tickle zones: neck and armpits
Still loves to fake sneeze
Reads about 10 books a day.. boy genius. Actually, it is the only way to settle him for a nap but he will sit and let you read to him forever. Future book clubber for sure. Who said they were for girls?
Best 11 months of my life!
Ok.. I guess I totally don' get it. But I am sick of all these Christmas songs that are supposed to be funny. Is my sense of humor that dry? They are so DUMB to me. "Grandma Got Ran Over By A Reindeer" was bad enough but now there are a ton of them. And the country stations are the worst! I love country but at this time of year I am afraid to turn to a country station due to all the really stupid Christmas songs.
I love the classics though. My new favorite cd is "Harry for the Holidays" which is a horrible title and very embarrassing to ask for but you can't go wrong with Harry Connick, Jr. Last year, J and I were driving all over town to find it. We finally found a determined Target employee who was searching frantically for it. However, he kept calling it "Have a Harry Holiday" and it was very loud in his speaker while people looked at us like the weirdos! 
Anyway, it was worth the embarrassment. He has a new one this year that I am excited to get!
Last Saturday we had a fabulous day at Wheeler Park although it was a lot colder than we expected. We had family pics done and I am throwing out a recommendation for the girl who did our pics. She is just getting started so she is not really charging for her time and has excellent prices. She is also very sweet and fast! After we left the park we were so excited and she had them all edited within a couple of hours and sent over to me! We took a ton so there were a lot of options. I was very impressed.Her blogspot is http://www.glamourgraphics.blogspot.com/
Anyway, it was a lot of fun and Carson was pretty cooperative. He did not even complain that his little hands were freezing, but then again he picked up a leaf and had that most of the time. What more could a little boy want?
Here are a few:
Notice the leaf in Carson's hand on several of the pics!
It is here! Happy Thanksgiving. I am grateful for SO MANY things this year. My husband, my boy, my family and friends....
I am also grateful that all I have to worry about this morning is making apple crisp. Despite the fact that one day I would like to host Thanksgiving at my home, I am very relieved to not be stressed out today.
I am grateful my husband and I are not stuck in the snow on the mountain while his family enjoys dinner at the cabin and we savor one granola bar. True story folks. Our first Thanksgiving married we excitedly decided to go up to J's dads cabin and went four wheelin in the Bronco while the turkey was cooking. My husband was a little too daring, we got stuck. We would shovel ourselves out with an ice scraper, drive one wheel turn and get stuck again. It was getting dark before his dad found us.
I am grateful that I can hear my husband in the kitchen explaining to our 10 month old why we should always celebrate Thanksgiving...so cute!
I am grateful for big eyes that light up and my boy loving to give me "kisses" already.
I am grateful for a mirror that I can slant at just the right angle to convince myself that it is ok to indulge a little more!
I am grateful for Victoria Secret boyfriend fit sweats... so comfy. My poor husband has already learned not to get excited when I come home with a bag from Victoria Secret.
I am grateful for the internet but miss the dewey decimal system and hours in the library... I am a true nerd at heart.
I am grateful for books and Ruth Finch who let me come shop at her closing book store the other day and pick out anything I wanted....for free! A bookworms' dream:)
I am grateful for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints... the gospel has blessed my life immeasurably.
Well, Thanksgiving is around the corner and with that comes the dreaded Black Friday.
I know that for many people this is an exciting tradition that they look forward to. I absolutely do not get it! I mean, is there any sale good enough to get up out of bed before the sun comes up, wait in long lines, be pushed, shoved and elbowed for a sale?
I always thought it was called "Black Friday" because working in retail we "blacked out" from the day after Thanksgiving through Christmas as days that could be requested off. However, here is what Wikipedia says:
JANUARY 1966 -- "Black Friday" is the name which the Philadelphia Police Department has given to the Friday following Thanksgiving Day. It is not a term of endearment to them. "Black Friday" officially opens the Christmas shopping season in center city, and it usually brings massive traffic jams and over-crowded sidewalks as the downtown stores are mobbed from opening to closing.
I think having had a history of having to work retail those days for years and years and years makes me passionate about the fact that I will not face those crowds if I do not have to!
So, for my little bit of rebellion I like my Black Friday tradition of not having to work and instead seeing a matinee right in the middle of the day! Much more relaxing:)
I do not know how to take the annoying song off of my Slide Show and I do not know how it got there!
So, feel free to mute your computer when you pull up my blog!
You would never know I am married to a computer whiz but I can not figure out the simplest things sometimes!
It is almost here! Seriously, can you believe it?
I am so grateful for so many things this year! Truly my life could not have been more blessed than having a terrific husband (really, he is pretty perfect), my adorable wonderful ever entertaining son, and incredible friends and family!
Well, where much is given, much is expected.
Unfortunately there are a lot of people who are struggling at this time of year. I challenge each person to do something a little out of your comfort zone this year to benefit someone else. Whether it is your financial comfort zone, stretching your time, or just doing a little more, I challenge you to pray to be the answer to someone's prayer. I know you will be blessed.
Check out this website if you are prompted to give a Thanksgiving gift that keeps on giving. It helps an international family or community become self sufficient.
http://www.heifer.org/
My mom and I spent some time making Christmas tags while she was here. These are fun because they are quick and easy... I tend to have a short attention span with crafts. One of my friends wanted pics for a Christmas tag exchange so I thought I would throw them up on the blog. These pics do not do justice to the glitter and 3-Dness of it all:)
My mom and I each made a few of each and then shared them. I love the idea of a Christmas tag exchange though. How fun!
My mom turns 50 year old today! Happy Birthday Mom! She just left last night from a visit here for an extended birthday weekend. We had SO MUCH fun!
For her birthday, I put together a scrapbook of the 50 greatest things about her and had people from the family send in their comments. It was very touching to read what everyone had to say. There was definitely a theme around her selflessness, dedication to her family, empathy, love of children, optimistic attitude toward life...and her HUGE heart. Her life is truly one to celebrate!
I am going to take a personal moment about why my mom is so great. First of all while most people groan about their 30, 40 and 50th birthdays... I have always heard my mom say "My life just keeps getting better"... she never feels old or acts old.
My mom had me at sixteen years of age. That is far less shocking than the childhood she had already endured. She married my dad and he joined the military...moving us from Ohio to Washington state. Three years later my brother was born... and my dad left, returning to Ohio.
We were across the United States, my mom was 19 with two children and nobody to turn to. No job and no education. But we made it. She worked hard, she got her GED and has since taken college courses in Early Education. Our life did not get easier for a long long time. But I remember my childhood as most children...filled with laughter and love.
My mom taught me a few things during my growing years. She told me over and over again my life did not have to be like hers. I could do anything I wanted. She never complained about my dad to me. She never acted like a victim.
She had to go on state aid for a short period of time. I will always remember it because I was 5 and she told me that she did not like how people talked to her when she went to pick up her check. She felt they looked down on her. The problem was that if she worked she could not afford childcare. So she got a job as waitress and often brought us with her. We loved it! We played Ms Pacman and ate maraschino cherries. The restaurant she worked at had tons and tons of old books as decor. I think that is where I developed my love for books.. I started reading anything I could get my hands on.
I believed my mom when she told me I could be anything I wanted. I wanted to be the first woman President, then a lawyer, a psychologist and a writer. I went to college and started on my career.
This year I realized something. What I want to be most is a mom just like her.
Happy Birthday to my mom and my best friend! I love you!
While in San Diego we went to breakfast at this awesome little cafe called Cafe 222. I highly recommend it if you are ever in San Diego...
Anyway, my favorite was their pumpkin waffles. One of the girls found the recipe. Here it is:
Preheat oven to 250°F and preheat waffle iron.
Sift together flour, brown sugar, baking powder and soda, salt, and spices.
Whisk eggs in a large bowl until blended, then whisk in milk, buttermilk, pumpkin, and butter until smooth. Whisk in dry ingredients just until smooth.
Brush waffle iron lightly with oil and spoon batter (about 2 cups for four 4-inch Belgian waffles) into waffle iron, spreading quickly. Cook according to manufacturer’s instructions.
We have had an exciting week and it is not even Halloween yet. Here are some highlights:
Last night the young women put on a party for the primary. It was quite fun but also quite possibly the longest hour and half of my life. I got into the spirit with my witch hat!
The cutest was that our group put on musical chairs... there were a few boys who would try to offer their chair when a little girl did not get one. Apparently chivalry took precedence over competition. Someone is raising those boys right!
Oh, here I am in the hat again! Carson and I went to Gardner village with all the cousins, aunts, nana, great grandma and crew! They have witch displays everywhere! It was a great time. I, of course, picked up another witch hat and started stylin' it.
Here we all are at Archibald's. If you ever go there, you must try the Garlic Lemon Chicken... fabulous! Carson ended up eating most of Liesel's mac n cheese. I brought my hand grinder and we were all set.
Lesson that I learned this week: Gone are the days of laying him down for a nap and he is out. I heard him chatting away and this is what I discovered. He was pulling off his red socks and wacking the little animals on his mobile. Since then I have found that white socks are not quite as tempting. 
Just returned from an absolutely fantastic 4 day weekend in San Diego with my book club friends. What a fun book club, huh? Loving our Charlies Angels pose?
Highlights of the trip:
80 degree weather
Jake and Dante-our rejected Hollywood actors turned Haunted Tour Guides
Animal print purses
Hotel Circle Drive--or should I say 'loop' since we never got anywhere on it!
Pumpkin Waffles
Californios
Ida Bailey's History
"The Women" at Balboa Park
Duck Pond at Seaport Village
Anchor Poses
The Pregnant Lady having more energy than all of us
Ice cream in Old Town
Sunset in La Jolla
Jayna securing a parking space against all odds
California Dog Craze
oh, and of course the seals. Wait, those were surfers!
This was J's favorite pic, so I thought I would add it.... from this distance you can't see the frostbite forming on the poor kids' fingers
Last night we went to the Pumpkin Patch. If you only knew how long I have waited for the moment(most women visualize and plan their weddings, I visualized and planned my pumpkin patch trips) that I could bring my kid to the pumpkin patch. Of course, things don't always live up to the expectations you have in your mind.
We rushed through dinner and bundled up...and arrived only to find out it closed in 10 minutes. Since I had volunteered to also get 6 pumpkins for Young Women's we had a short amount of time to pick pumpkins, take pictures, and get out of there. We also needed our pumpkins too and usually like to find the biggest ones (last year we found a 42lber)
We sat Mister (Carson) in a wagon filled with pumpkins as we scrambled feverishly. When I went back to grab him, I realized the poor kid was shivering violently and freezing! Easy going as he was, he did not make a peep.
We truly did have a great time but it may be worth it to make it back one more time before the season is over.
No, this is not a picture of my food storage. Wouldn't you have been so impressed though?
The truth is, we are just now starting to focus on our family food storage. Better late than never right?
Up until recently, we had several 72 hour kits, two buckets of dehydrated foods from Costco ( I highly recommend in case of a grab and go emergency) and that was the extent.
So, I went online to www.lds.org , filled out the calculator and form for the basic items we would need for 3 months and figured I could just go pick it up at the Distribution Center. Right? Wrong. It is much much more complicated.
I am now in the research and act mode and need your help! We did go to Macey's the other day and purchased some things but I am SO overwhelmed.
Comment about ideas, suggestions, things that worked for you. I will update my blog and hopefully help someone else as I journey on my quest for adequate food storage.
In the meantime, if you have a one year supply...give me your address so I can include it on the list of homes to camp out at in an emergency!
Last weekend I needed an avocado or two. I did my shopping at Reams and all of their avocados were rock hard. I was shopping on Friday and needed them for Saturday. Hmmm..what to do.
That is where friendly Mr. Produce Guy came in. He told me to put them in a paper bag with a ripe banana and they would be ripe by the next day. I was skeptical to say the least.
When I got home I realized I did not own a paper bag. At this point, I thought, well it is not really worth it and they are really hard. But, I did lay them next to the bananas overnight.
Guess what? Perfectly ripe the next day. No Kidding! What was weird is the pit was still not ripe but the avocado was.
My friend solved the amazing mystery. Apparently the gases emitted from the bananas ripen them.
That being said, I may try an experiment next time and put them next to my husband overnight.
I have been tagged.
7 Random/ Weird Things About Me
I tag:
I love these shoes! These are designed for new walkers, with a soft sole which is better for their forming feet. Check out the website:http://www.pedoodles.com/section.php/11/0/
These two are my favorites. You can enter to win a pair by going to:http://nowenteringmomville.blogspot.com/2008/09/pedoodles-shoes-giveaway.html
And if you have a girl... there are a ton of cute girly shoes too!
I don't know if you are like me, but as much as I want a sparkling clean house.. I tend to get overwhelmed when I get started. I found this list of things to do that that are easy and will help get me a little bit closer to the clean home of my dreams:
Fresh ways to get your home to sparkle.
If you’re overwhelmed by the thought of going through your entire house – dusting, scrubbing, organizing and throwing things away – we’ve got the inspiration you need to de-clutter, de-germ and de-stress. Start with these little tips and your house will be spotless in no time.
• Freshen and sharpen your garbage disposal by grinding lemon peel, baking soda and pieces of ice while running the water.
• Dust your vents and fans to keep your air clean and reduce allergens.
• Clean your dishwasher by running it empty with vinegar or baking soda in place of the soap.
• Vacuum your mattress to get rid of dust. Then flip it to keep it from sinking in on one side.
• Sort through your containers of makeup, hair products and lotions. Throw out anything that’s expired, separated or out of style. Be especially careful with products you use around your eyes and mouth like lipstick and mascara.
• Dip cotton swabs in bleach to clean the tight spaces in and around sinks, ovens and refrigerators.
One last thing – start with a room you know you can clean in an hour or less. That way, your accomplishment will keep you motivated!
Once you have children, you have to cross your legs prior to sneezing.
I am trying to develop this into something that looks graceful, like a plie. We could make it a ladylike standard to cross your legs when you feel a sneeze coming on and begin teaching it to our daughters at a very young age. Then, nobody would look at us weird or realize we are trying to prevent peeing our pants.
Excuse This Home
Carson turned 8 months old the other day and I thought I should put on some updates. Wow, time really flies when you are having fun. Lately, all my days are fun.
