In Touch

Baby Mommas

2012-02-01T12:00:00.000-08:00

I am blessed to be in a culture of having babies!! One benefit of this is that with both pregnancies I have had several friends all pregnant around the same I have been. This has been so much fun and special in my life. We share our stories together and support one another through these miraculous life changing events. Here is how my friends and I looked in 2009 before I had Jackson...

This was my totally fabulous baby shower and my dear friends in Boise. I realize a couple are missing and that is too bad...
Looking at this makes me miss them so much...
PS...most of these ladies are pregnant again or have already had another baby since this! :)

Here is today!

More beautiful, amazing gals having babies that I get to call friends--this time in Houston! My black shirt makes it look like I am not pregnant but there really is a belly there!
This wasn't my shower--we had that last Friday night. It wasn't as much of a shower as a girls night out--complete with pedicures, an amazing dinner, and ice cream.

Can I just say how proud I am of us that we are bringing children in to this world. It definitely is not easy--in so many ways! And this is a scary time in the world...but we are doing what we are supposed to and I am grateful for your support!

Children

Neil L. Andersen

As we look into the eyes of a child, we see a fellow son or daughter of God who stood with us in the premortal life.

It is a crowning privilege of a husband and wife who are able to bear children to provide mortal bodies for these spirit children of God. We believe in families, and we believe in children.

When a child is born to a husband and wife, they are fulfilling part of our Heavenly Father’s plan to bring children to earth. The Lord said, “This is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.”¹ Before immortality, there must be mortality.

The family is ordained of God. Families are central to our Heavenly Father’s plan here on earth and through the eternities. After Adam and Eve were joined in marriage, the scripture reads, “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.”² In our day prophets and apostles have declared, “The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force.”³

This commandment has not been forgotten or set aside in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.⁴ We express deep gratitude for the enormous faith shown by husbands and wives (especially our wives) in their willingness to have children. When to have a child and how many children to have are private decisions to be made between a husband and wife and the Lord. These are sacred decisions—decisions that should be made with sincere prayer and acted on with great faith.

Years ago, Elder James O. Mason of the Seventy shared this story with me: “The birth of our sixth child was an unforgettable experience. As I gazed on this beautiful, new daughter in the nursery just moments after her birth, I distinctly heard a voice declare, ‘There will yet be another, and it will be a boy.’ Unwisely, I rushed back to the bedside of my absolutely exhausted wife and told her the good news. It was very bad timing on my part.”⁵ Year after year the Masons anticipated the arrival of their seventh child. Three, four, five, six, seven years passed. Finally, after eight years, their seventh child was born—a little boy.

Last April, President Thomas S. Monson declared:

“Where once the standards of the Church and the standards of society were mostly compatible, now there is a wide chasm between us, and it’s growing ever wider. …

“The Savior of mankind described Himself as being in the world but not of the world. We also can be in the world but not of the world as we reject false concepts and false teachings and remain true to that which God has commanded.”⁶

Many voices in the world today marginalize the importance of having children or suggest delaying or limiting children in a family. My daughters recently referred me to a blog written by a Christian mother (not of our faith) with five children. She commented: “[Growing] up in this culture, it is very hard to get a biblical perspective on motherhood. … Children rank way below college. Below world travel for sure. Below the ability to go out at night at your leisure. Below honing your body at the gym. Below any job you may have or hope to get.” She then adds: “Motherhood is not a hobby, it is a calling. You do not collect children because you find them cuter than stamps. It is not something to do if you can squeeze the time in. It is what God gave you time for.”⁷

Having young children is not easy. Many days are just difficult. A young mother got on a bus with seven children. The bus driver asked, “Are these all yours, lady? Or is it a picnic?”

“They’re all mine,” she replied. “And it’s no picnic!”⁸

As the world increasingly asks, “Are these all yours?” we thank you for creating within the Church a sanctuary for families, where we honor and help mothers with children.

To a righteous father, there are no words sufficient to express the gratitude and love he feels for his wife’s incalculable gift of bearing and caring for their children.

Elder Mason had another experience just weeks after his marriage that helped him prioritize his family responsibilities. He said:

“Marie and I had rationalized that to get me through medical school it would be necessary for her to remain in the workplace. Although this was not what we [wanted] to do, children would have to come later. [While looking at a Church magazine at my parents’ home,] I saw an article by Elder Spencer W. Kimball, then of the Quorum of the Twelve, [highlighting] responsibilities associated with marriage. According to Elder Kimball, one sacred responsibility was to multiply and replenish the earth. My parents’ home was [close to] the Church Administration Building. I immediately walked to the offices, and 30 minutes after reading his article, I found myself sitting across the desk from Elder Spencer W. Kimball.” (This wouldn’t be so easy today.)

“I explained that I wanted to become a doctor. There was no alternative but to postpone having our family. Elder Kimball listened patiently and then responded in a soft voice, ‘Brother Mason, would the Lord want you to break one of his important commandments in order for you to become a doctor? With the help of the Lord, you can have your family and still become a doctor. Where is your faith?’”

Elder Mason continued: “Our first child was born less than a year later. Marie and I worked hard, and the Lord opened the windows of heaven.” The Masons were blessed with two more children before he graduated from medical school four years later.⁹

Across the world, this is a time of economic instability and financial uncertainty. In April general conference, President Thomas S. Monson said: “If you are concerned about providing financially for a wife and family, may I assure you that there is no shame in a couple having to scrimp and save. It is generally during these challenging times that you will grow closer together as you learn to sacrifice and to make difficult decisions.”¹⁰

Elder Kimball’s piercing question, “Where is your faith?” turns us to the holy scriptures.

It was not in the Garden of Eden that Adam and Eve bore their first child. Leaving the garden, “Adam [and Eve] began to till the earth. … Adam knew his wife, and she [bore] … sons and daughters, and [acting in faith] they began to multiply and to replenish the earth.”¹¹

It was not in their Jerusalem home, with gold, silver, and precious things, that Lehi and Sariah, acting in faith, bore their sons Jacob and Joseph. It was in the wilderness. Lehi spoke of his son Jacob as “my first-born in the days of my tribulation in the wilderness.”¹² Lehi said of Joseph, “Thou wast born in the wilderness of [our] afflictions; yea, in the days of [our] greatest sorrow did thy mother bear thee.”¹³

In the book of Exodus, a man and woman married and, acting in faith, had a baby boy. There was no welcoming sign on the front door to announce his birth. They hid him because Pharaoh had instructed that every newborn male Israelite should be “cast into the river.”¹⁴ You know the rest of the story: the baby lovingly laid in a little ark made of bulrushes, placed in the river, watched over by his sister, found by Pharaoh’s daughter, and cared for by his own mother as his nurse. The boy was returned to Pharaoh’s daughter, who took him as her son and called him Moses.

In the most beloved story of a baby’s birth, there was no decorated nursery or designer crib—only a manger for the Savior of the world.

In “the best of times [and] … the worst of times,”¹⁵ the true Saints of God, acting in faith, have never forgotten, dismissed, or neglected “God’s commandment … to multiply and replenish the earth.”¹⁶ We go forward in faith—realizing the decision of how many children to have and when to have them is between a husband and wife and the Lord. We should not judge one another on this matter.

The bearing of children is a sensitive subject that can be very painful for righteous women who do not have the opportunity to marry and have a family. To you noble women, our Heavenly Father knows your prayers and desires. How grateful we are for your remarkable influence, including reaching out with loving arms to children who need your faith and strength.

The bearing of children can also be a heartbreaking subject for righteous couples who marry and find that they are unable to have the children they so anxiously anticipated or for a husband and wife who plan on having a large family but are blessed with a smaller family.

We cannot always explain the difficulties of our mortality. Sometimes life seems very unfair—especially when our greatest desire is to do exactly what the Lord has commanded. As the Lord’s servant, I assure you that this promise is certain: “Faithful members whose circumstances do not allow them to receive the blessings of eternal marriage and parenthood in this life will receive all promised blessings in the eternities, [as] they keep the covenants they have made with God.”¹⁷

President J. Scott Dorius of the Peru Lima West Mission told me their story. He said:

“Becky and I were married for 25 years without being able to have [or adopt] children. We moved several times. Introducing ourselves in each new setting was awkward and sometimes painful. Ward members wondered why we [didn’t have] children. They weren’t the only ones wondering.

“When I was called as a bishop, ward members [expressed] concern that I did not have any experience with children and teenagers. I thanked them for their sustaining vote and asked them to allow me to practice my child-raising skills on their children. They lovingly obliged.

“We waited, gained perspective, and learned patience. After 25 years of marriage, a miracle baby came into our lives. We adopted two-year-old Nicole and then newborn Nikolai. Strangers now compliment us on our beautiful grandchildren. We laugh and say, ‘They are our children. We have lived our lives backwards.’”¹⁸

Brothers and sisters, we should not be judgmental with one another in this sacred and private responsibility.

“And [Jesus] took a child … in his arms [and] said …

“Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth … him that sent me.”¹⁹

What a wonderful blessing we have to receive sons and daughters of God into our home.

Let us humbly and prayerfully seek to understand and accept God’s commandments, reverently listening for the voice of His Holy Spirit.

Families are central to God’s eternal plan. I testify of the great blessing of children and of the happiness they will bring us in this life and in the eternities, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Donde estan tus padres?

2012-01-26T21:22:00.000-08:00

Please excuse me while I rant...

About once a month I have a horrible nightmare that we left Jackson somewhere. The scenario is usually something like this...
We decided we need to go somewhere or do something and that Jackson will be fine by himself, where ever that might be. While we are gone I begin to realize what we did and I worry frantically about what he is doing and if he is alright. This happened just a couple of nights ago...
This time there was a bus we rode on everyday. For some reason Ryan and I decided Jackson could just ride around on the bus while we did whatever it is we needed to do. At this point it turned into a complete nightmare where I realized my toddler might get off the bus and get hit by a car. How will he know what stop to take?!?! What were we thinking!!
I find my recurring nightmares very interesting and I often wonder what they mean. We have never left Jackson over night and I see there might be some anxiety in that. Although, I want to be completely fine with it! Usually in my dreams I have forgotten him somewhere and that hasn't happened yet. Either way, I always remember the terrifying feelings I have during these dreams.

Anyway, back to present day reality...

We decided to enjoy another beautiful January afternoon at the big park near our house. We were quickly joined by an adorable little Hispanic boy who decided he really wanted to play with Jackson and be his friend. There were several other kids and parents there but it didn't take me long to realize that no one was attached to this little boy. He was dressed well and Jackson was having a ball playing with him. After half an hour of no adult paying attention to this child I started getting pretty concerned that he was there by himself. This kid had to be no older than 4. He wasn't that much taller than Jackson and he liked playing with him so I can't imagine him being older than that.
I kept asking him where his parents were and he would never say a word. This is the first time living in Houston, that I really wished I could speak Spanish. Eventually he started talking to me like crazy--I just couldn't understand a word.
I was going through all sorts of scenarios! Ya know--the terrible things you hear about in the news. One of my theories was one of my greatest fears from my dream--he is lost and his parents don't know where to find him.
Or maybe he was kidnapped and then got away and now he is lost...

He didn't seem distressed by any means--he was perfectly content to just keeping playing with Jackson and talking to me!

Then it hit me--
OR maybe his parents are just playing soccer 2 fields away and are letting their 4 year old play away on the jungle him all alone. What if he fell and hit his head??
After 45 minutes a man in a jersey ran half way over from the soccer field, looked around, and went back to playing. I noticed this after I finally asked the little boy "Are your parents playing soccer?" And he shook his head.
Even after knowing there was an adult in the park that he belonged too, I was appalled that there was no supervision for this little guy! I mean--Am I being crazy! Is it okay to let your 4 year old play over a football field away without really paying attention to him at all?! I know right now my 2 year old would get hit by a car or drown in the toilet in the bathroom. But maybe 4 year olds are much more advanced and can handle creepy strangers on their own!
Even after knowing he had a parent there, I still wanted to call the police. I wanted to teach that Dad a lesson. I wanted him to know that it was neglectful and that he is lucky he has such a good little boy and that he is still around.
I did walk the little boy to the soccer field. I looked over at the man I had seen in the jersey and asked if it was his kid. Of course he ran over and said thank you--as though I was helping him. I probably just ruined his game.
Let me know if you think I am being crazy and this was really no big deal! What would you have done??

Houston Chinatown

2012-01-25T19:38:00.000-08:00

You had no idea did you?!? That Houston actually has a Chinatown?!? We didn't either...

But when we found out, we went, and had a really good time! It may not be your typical charming New York or San Fran type of place--This Chinatown is made of various strip malls all located on one long road. But it is worth a day trip. I wanted to share some pics and try out making some collages. We visited the Hong Kong Market which was very interesting--full of weird food and random items. Think Costco but way more variety. It was huge.
Another really cool place was the Buddhist Temple we visited. I wish I had explored that a little bit more.

Can you learn Creativity???

2012-01-20T13:49:00.000-08:00

I am trying to work on becoming more creative---really I would like to be a more creative/crafty person in general but I might as well start in photography. So, I might be posting random photos that go along with those challenges. Here are some from today...

PS--my previous posts also included some I tried to take of milk jugs....If you have any ideas on how to take creative pictures of ugly milk jugs please show me!

Cuttin Back

2012-01-18T19:42:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago I was so excited about all the goals we had set for this year--personal and family ones. (And I know this is going to be no surprise to anyone..) But what burns you out so fast is that you want to change everything all at once...
Like that is even possible!!
Thanks to my bean jar and some simple family goals we made I really haven't felt to overwhelmed. But there are some things we are trying to cut back on and that is killing me!

1. Budget--we are actually living by one or at least keeping track. This is surprisingly stressful but I realize the benefits.
2. Food--Especially this month but hopefully for all year, I am trying to meal plan better, cook more, and eat healthier. So far I have been doing pretty good. It is easy to get out of the habit of cooking. The last couple of days we have been eating left overs so tonight I wasn't interested in cooking. We are also trying to spend less on food and eat at home more.

3. Milk--I bet this one surprised you!! I wouldn't say this is a family goal--its really just something that drives my husband crazy and I am tired of him talking about it. So, I decided to make a conscience effort and cut back on the amount of milk intake the 3 of us have. We all love cereal and eat it at least once but many times twice a day. Jackson is a complete milk-a-holic and I guess I just enjoy milk and chocolate a little too much. I grew up drinking milk as much as I wanted and this has been particularly difficult. In fact, I have a very strong desire to rebel and go pour myself a huge glass!!!
4. Soda--What can I say??? I am an addict but at least it is only for Dr. Pepper.

This is pretty boring stuff but it is particularly difficult for me today so I wanted to get this out!

On a side note--I had a moment today where I forgot something--something REALLY important to me. It was one of those things that happens only once (hopefully) because it bothers you so much...
Don't worry--it wasn't my kid... :)

Please share with me!! What is something you are cutting out this year that is pretty difficult so far?!?!? I don't want to feel alone anymore...

A Small Town Texas Adventure

2012-01-18T19:41:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago we went on a day trip to some small towns outside of Houston. We checked out Hempstead, Waller, Bellville, and Sealy, TX. These were particularly special places because Ryan served part of his mission there. His area was about 40 square miles. Getting to hear about the families he taught and some experiences he had was really fun.
It was a beautiful day and it was nice to get out of the city. There are even some very tiny rolling hills around those parts. My favorite town was definitely Bellville. Worth a drive for anyone to see. It is the kind of country town that I would actually consider living in. Charming town square with cute antique shops and many Victorian style homes. And it really does feel "hilly"--something I really miss around this flat state. Ya'll should really check it out sometime!

A Surprisingly Wonderful Adventure

2012-01-12T19:23:00.000-08:00

Yesterday my friend Jessica and I decided to go on a spontaneous adventure to the outlet mall nearby. It might not have been a big deal but taking your kids to do anything is pretty much an adventure in my mind. And it ended up being more fun than we anticipated! :)

We were there for a couple of hours until the boys were ready to go and take naps. We headed to the car and realized we lost the keys. We searched and searched--we dug through trash and retraced every step. Still no luck. It really wasn't a big deal--we just got to hang out there for a couple more hours than we originally planned.

After taking very short naps, ice cream cones really helped the boys perk up. Pretty sure it helped the moms too... :)

This was one outing we thought we were safe to leave our cameras at home. Much to our dismay we really wish we had them. These few pics were the only ones taken with my iphone. Cute people make for cute pics though.

This is Jackson's best friend. It is so fun to see them play together!

My little stinker ended up needing new pants! Luckily we were at an outlet mall that had at least 3 stores to pick some up at. I forgot my wallet however so I am very grateful my dear friend fronted me some dough. We were tired but I think we made the most of it and ended up with a really fun memory!

Beans, Beans the Magical Fruit!

2012-01-10T19:05:00.000-08:00

Don't worry--I won't be finishing that delightful tune!

My husband thinks I am totally crazy but I came up with a way to keep working on my goals this year. I am a total sucker for REWARD programs. This year I kept thinking of all those little things I wish I did better--brushing Jackson's teeth, kneeling to pray, flossing, etc, etc. I realized I needed some way to reward myself for sticking with these annoying little goals.

So, I thought back to primary days...

Its very simple...

All you need is a jar...

And some beans...

And some goals I guess...

Why is this in the bathroom you say?? A couple of years ago I realized that posting my goals on the mirror in my bathroom was the best place for me to look at them everyday.

So anytime I accomplish one of my little goals, I get to put a bean in the jar. When the jar is full I get a PRIZE!!

Not sure what that will be yet.

What are you doing to keep your goals this year?!?!

Family Home Evening

2012-01-09T20:25:00.000-08:00

Tonight for Family Home Evening we read The Family: A Proclamation to the World. Check it out if you are not sure what it is.

I am very grateful for this vital document and happy to live by it's standards.

Then we made Snickerdoodles to deliver to our neighbor who's birthday is today. I didn't realize I was out of flour so we went next door to borrow some. Then we had 2 neighbors to deliver to! I am so grateful for our friendly neighbors.

Happy Monday!

What did you do for Family Home Evening??

A Friday like so many others...

2012-01-06T19:41:00.000-08:00

I think Fridays are one of the hardest nights for our family. If we don't go out to eat (which we are trying not to do right now) we don't really do anything and it can feel pretty boring.

Today I went and picked up a double stroller. Wow--we need to upgrade to a big SUV now. The thing is huge. Not sure how much we like it but we got a good deal and I think I can sell it for what I bought it for.

Yesterday Jackson had his 2 year appointment. I love our pediatrician! I hope we can switch our insurance so we can keep seeing her. I know that is so silly but she is incredible and I am pretty sure I will hate everyone else. Unless I can fly to ABQ every 2 months.
Surprised Jackson has no more shots until 4 years old. But he screamed for about an entire hour. He kicked and fought the entire time he was getting weighed and measured. And I cried... Tantrums are just traumatic for everyone I think.

Tonight I went through Jackson's old baby clothes to get ready for new baby boy. Its really hard to believe he was ever that small. I was excited though that we have so many in good condition and of good quality. They are so cute and it makes me look forward to a little blob to cuddle with. I am getting pretty freaked out over a name. We have a couple of ideas but nothing we are thrilled with and can agree on. Suggestions are welcome! :)

These socks have been laying here for like 4 days....Ahhh housework...

I have to say I was so excited about the new year at the beginning of this week. New goals, a spending fast for the month, and just making all the changes I have been dying to work on. Why does it fade so fast!? I blame it on being pregnant. I had some weird burst of nesting energy on Tuesday and Wednesday and now it is gone...

Craigslist Etiquette

2012-01-05T11:10:00.000-08:00

Did you see that Frasier where he throws the guy out the coffee shop for taking his table?!?!

Okay---probably not because that show is really old...(we are watching it on Netflix right now and I really love it-so funny!!)

The point is--today is one of those days where I am just kind of fed up with the annoying things bugging me and I kind of want to throw someone out of a coffee shop. (Luckily Taco Bell therapy has eased my frustrations a bit...)

You probably know that we are big believers in Craigslist. I realize there is some hassle and pain that comes with it but for the most part, we have gotten some great deals and been able to sell stuff pretty easily! I think Houstonians have a problem with proper Craigslist Etiquette though. If I could post this somewhere on the website I would!

Here's my beef...

Last night I emailed 5 people about strollers for sale. Only 1 person responded to me. That seems like a pretty small percentage to me!!! There were no phone numbers for these people or I would have called them. So whats the problem here...

1. They really don't care about selling it. If they did, they would check their email more frequently in order to respond to interested buyers. OR they would put a phone number on the posting. We recently sold something in less than 24 hours.
2. They already sold the item. This is usually the reason. But if so--Delete your post!!! It's not that hard people. My real problem though is that they don't tell you they sold it--they just choose to NOT respond to your email. What is so hard about saying--sold it thanks. That is only about 14 key strokes folks (including the reply and send button). I have had 2 experiences lately. One lady was ready to meet us so we could buy her Christmas tree. She said she would call when she was leaving. She NEVER called. She sold it and couldn't even email us to tell us not to meet her after all. Same thing happened today. I said I want to pick up the item...no response--even though she led me to believe I could buy it if I wanted to.

I understand that it is first come first serve, with the most cash--but please just let me know that the item is not available so I don't have to keep wondering!!

Sorry for my rant--just had to get it out.

Also--I have to find a new pediatrician before the baby comes. I am so sad about it. I love the doctor we see now. All because of insurance companies--blah. My husband doesn't understand why this is tough for me--I know its not the end of the world but *sigh* it sucks...I know there are moms out there that feel my pain.

Best thing about H-town and a Happy New Year!

2012-01-04T15:00:00.000-08:00

Besides the amazing winter weather so far...

The great friends we have here are by far one of the best things about living in this city. It is always a struggle to make new friends when you move but it seems like having a growing family almost makes it more difficult. We often get stuck in our ways and find it more difficult to make the time to focus on relationships outside of our home. But it has been really easy here and I am very grateful for the wonderful friends we have. We also have fantastic neighbors! They are always willing to help and offer information. I hope they stick around while we live in this home. We couldn't be luckier.

I just wanted to say how grateful I am to know good people here. I am having so much fun and it is a blessing to have friends with kids the same age as yours. Jackson is really loving his friends here too.

A Quiet Christmas

2012-01-03T15:23:00.000-08:00

Here is what Christmas looked like at our house this year...

This was our first year alone. It was quiet and relaxing and fun! I really loved it. On Sunday we did miss our family a lot but our trip to NOLA was a good fix.

We had our traditional Christmas Crepes with a twist--Nutella! We almost had a crisis on our hands when we realized Christmas Eve that we had no powdered sugar. But Nutella at Walgreens saved the day.

We actually opened our gifts on Christmas Eve. What can I say--we are a pretty impatient family! But we thought we would have more fun if we didn't have to get ready for church right after unwrapping fun new toys.

These pics were taken with OUR Christmas present--a new camera. I love it and am so excited. I have been taking a million pictures a day. Ryan is also enjoying it--it is a pretty fancy piece of electronic commitment so we are having fun together learning about it.

Talk about the best gift ever--this one is from Grandma Carter! All of my gifts pretty much failed :) He played with his car all day after getting it and still every morning climbs in.

Notecard--Day 1

2012-01-02T19:54:00.000-08:00

I am trying a new thing this year to record in my journal more often. Some people keep a box with notecards that have a date of everyday of the year. Each day they record a couple of short things on that day. Then you can pull it out later like a little journal. I am going to attempt to do this often-probably not every day. They won't be very long and sometimes it might just be a picture. Here we go...

Today we toured Rice University and the Medical District. This is an adorable community. I can see why people want to live there and why it is expensive.

We also visited The Houston Heights--an upcoming historic area that is an interesting mixture of new and redone bungalows. This area reminds me very much of the North End in Boise but is a bit sketchier in some parts. I would want a big iron fence around my house if I lived there but we loved it. We found an amazing park there called Donovan Park that Jackson could play at for hours!

Took down our Christmas Tree and put it in the attic! I feel so accomplished. We also finalized our savings accounts and created the automatic transactions that will occur. Also got closer to finalizing our budget or it may be done! We will see...

Stunning City of the South

2012-01-01T16:14:00.000-08:00

When we planned our Christmas trip to New Orleans, I wasn't very excited. I had no idea what an incredible place it is. Growing up in Arkansas it really wasn't THAT far away and yet I never heard much about it...except the usual--Mardi Gras, great partying, Bourbon Street, and crazy things you have to do to get some cheap bead necklaces. I felt that it had little to offer our little family right now. I must say that after a few days there, I have a new love for that amazing city! A place full of complicated culture and history and a charm that I am not sure exists in Texas. (Supposedly there are places but I haven't seen them in the Houston area yet!) I would go back every year--just to get to know it better. We probably won't go that often but we will visit again. There are things we didn't see and do that I will look forward to! The pictures I posted are meant to give a feel for the city--you won't see a lot of cute pics of the boy but here is one...

We got to go with some great friends from Houston. They also have a little boy that is the same age as Jackson. This is what they were doing most of the time!

Jackson's square--a few nights later we took a carriage ride from here.

Really famous for their yummy Beignets

I loved the cafes all over the place. I haven't been to Paris, but I am pretty sure it is alot like this!

My beautiful dear friend in the Marigny district.

We really enjoyed walking around at night. The shops were amazing...(sorry--I am saying amazing way to much)

The awesome family we got to hang out with...

Most of our time was spent in the French Quarter. We actually stayed there, parked our car, and never drove for three days until we left. The picture above and below was taken in the Garden District. A place I would definitely like to explore more and maybe even stay in. There is a trendy little street called Magazine that seems like miles of shops and restaurants. I could have spent an entire day there.

I feel so lucky we got to spend a few days exploring such a unique place. It didn't come without challenges--we do have a 2 year old after all but if you ever want to plan a trip there, I would be happy to give some tips and advice. It is worth it no matter where you live. BUT if you live in Houston, make sure you visit before you move away. The drive isn't bad and it is worth it. It is also very affordable. There is so much to see and explore that is free you could easily go on a tight $400-$500 budget including food and lodging.

I would love to hear what you enjoy most about the Big Easy!

Boy the past 2 years...

2011-12-23T12:28:00.000-08:00

I know I already posted on Jackson's birthday but I wanted to show some pics of his little birthday party. He did so good blowing out his candles and eating his cake. It was really adorable. Thanks to my fabulous friend who took some pics! I can't believe I didn't have someone video taping though. I was pretty sad about that.

Lately I have been disappointed that I have not recorded all of Jackson's milestones and when they happened. That way, with our next baby, I can see how old when certain things changed and what not. Just another testimony of how important journaling is! So here are a few things Jackson has started doing recently...

-Jumping!
-Sleeping in a toddler bed. This happened right after Thanksgiving when he learned how to crawl out of his crib. It is going really well though.
-Saying more and more words (not many you can recognize!)
-Communicating better in general
-More energy--He makes us run around the house with him for a long time everyday!
-Big boy--at least 32 pounds now

I know there is so much more but that is all I can think of right now. It truly is amazing watching him grow up. We are really grateful to have such a happy boy around.

A few of my favorite things...

2011-12-22T09:43:00.000-08:00

This is a very late post...

But I still wanted to post some pics from my birthday. I had a great little party and was so busy I didn't take any pics from it. I did however, take some pics of some things I got.

Ryan got me these Dr. Pepper's...definitely one of my favorite things!
They were so good...

Several dear friends brought me delicious cupcakes...

And I got a beautiful fall bouquet...

Guess I can't leave this little guy out! I am still shocked everyday by how cute he is! Just grateful to have him around and he is one of my favorite things...

Happy Birthday baby boy!

2011-12-14T19:34:00.000-08:00

Jackson's birthday was actually yesterday but I have been a little busy. In honor of his birthday I read my journal about the day he was born 2 years ago and decided to post it.

Happy birthday action Jackson! You have made me such a better person and I am so grateful to have you in my life!

January 5, 2010

I can’t believe that our little boyis already 3+ weeks old and I have yet to do any journaling. Jackson Ryan Carter was born on December 13,2009 at 10:27 am via C-Section. Heweighed 8 pounds, 8 ounces and was 22 inches long.

Motherhood is definitely not what Iexpected so far. It is much harder thanI even prepared myself for. But we havebeen blessed with a beautiful, healthy little boy that I look forward togetting to know more and more. Here is arecap of our birth experience.

My last doctor’s appointment beforemy December 14^th due date was on Thursday before. At that appointment I found out that the babywas breech. I was devastated atfirst. I was very disappointed about nothaving a normal birth experience. I waspreparing myself to go naturally for as long as possible, but the C-Section wasscheduled for Tuesday the 15^th. They would try an external version before actually doing the surgery tosee if they could get the baby to turn. On Friday I also tried acupuncture by a lady who said she had a 75%success rate on turning babies. I wasdoubtful though that it worked.

On Saturday night we went to thetemple together because we knew it would be a long time before we could goback. I was having consistentcontractions throughout the session but figured it was just Braxton hicks andwasn’t too worried about it. After thetemple we went to the Bishop’s house for the Ward Council Christmas party. I joked to Ryan that we might have to leaveearly. We had a great time there playingreally fun games. At times we werelaughing so hard that my friends joked I was going to go into labor! I was still having fairly consistentcontractions not very close together. Iwoke up around 4 am that night and started timing my contractions at thatpoint. They were about 5 minutes apartbut still not painful. My doctor saidthat we hoped I didn’t go into labor before my scheduled date b/c then wecouldn’t try to turn the baby. I think Icalled around 4:30 or 5:00 just to see what they suggested. It was actually my doctor, Kelly Suidinzskiwho was on call. She said to wait to seeif I actually was in labor and that hopefully I wasn’t. I knew by 7:00 that I really was inlabor. They were getting a bit moreintense. I wanted to let Ryan sleep butI didn’t want to be alone anymore so I woke him up.

I was definitely progressing and inpain. I was happy to get to experiencethat. It was surprising painful and didreally feel like really bad menstrual cramps—the worst ever. We got ready to go and left around 8:30. It was a winter wonderland outside and it wassnowing when we left. Almost right awayI was admitted and checked—dilated to a 3, contractions every 3-4 minutesapart, and the baby was still breech. Atthat point, our wonderful nurse Linda started getting us ready forsurgery. I was shocked when I asked howlong it would be…I thought at least a while. But since I was progressing in labor she told me about 30 minutes. I couldn’t believe it! I was shocked that in 30 minutes we would seeour little boy. Ryan got dressed, I gotdressed and ready and by 10 am we were in the operating room.

I wasn’t scared of surgery. I know that they do this procedure all thetime and I wasn’t worried about dying and I didn’t think it would bepainful. I was a little bit emotionalwhen they made Ryan wait outside. I justcouldn’t believe that everything was happening so fast. I was going to see my little boy sosoon. It was much more painful than Iexpected, especially the stitching me up part at the end. Ryan was so interested in watching thesurgery, he wasn’t paying much attention to me, but he was holding my hand. The first thing he said when they pulled himout was “Oh, he’s really cute, cuter than other kids we have seen lately.” They showed him to me for what felt like asplit second. I cried just a little bitand then was too distracted by the pain I was experiencing. Ryan was immediately in awe of watching themcheck him and clean him. One of thedoctors said, “Wow, look at that scrotum! If it was any bigger he could breathe through it!” We thought it was funny, and yes, very true. I felt really sick and uncomfortable afterthat so they put me to sleep. I woke upan hour later to find Ryan and Jackson in the recovery room with me.

I didn’t get the immediate feelingof love that I was expecting when I finally got to see him in the recoveryroom. I think I did miss out on thebonding experience a little bit but even if it was a natural labor I don’t knowif I would have felt that way. He isafter all, a perfect stranger at that point. I also realize now how out of it I was that first day aftersurgery. I was exhausted and doped uppretty good. I am not sure who I talkedto and when and what all was going on, but I remember it being a good day. I remember being so happy that Ryan was sointerested and happy with him. I didn’thave any expectations about how Ryan would react so I was so happy and gratefulwith how he was.

Our hospital stay was great. We had wonderful nurses and lots of freefood. We utilized the nursery wheneverwe wanted to so we could get some rest. I felt great the next day and we had a few visitors. Besides some pain, I felt good and wanted towalk around and show off my baby. I took a shower and did my hair andmakeup. We left on Tuesday b/c I wasfeeling so great. Mom was coming thatday and Ryan was ready to take his family home.

Those first few days, beforereality really it, were some of the happiest days of my life up to thispoint. I couldn’t believe how beautifuland good our little boy was. We hadexcellent care and we felt very close to each other. I am very grateful for those memories.

Texas Renaissance Festival

2011-11-15T09:57:00.001-08:00

Just a simple slide...but so much more

2011-11-08T10:41:00.000-08:00

We surprised Jackson with a slide his Grandparents got for him on Craigslist last week. It got dropped off while he was sleeping and I decided to wait for Ryan to get home before we gave it to him. The anticipation was basically killing me all afternoon though.

I finally get it! The excitement that parents have when they give their children something their excited about. That is why I cry at all those Disney commercials where the parents tell their children, "We are going to Disney world!!" Yes--I really do tear up at those...
I see why parents spend tons of money at Christmas to watch their kids open up every little package and see their eyes when they realize what it is. Can I just say, I was one great kid to give stuff to. I was always over the top excited and deep down still am. (I just need a few more surprises sent my way these days!) But that is why I was (and still am) so spoiled...

The excitement of little children is just so pure...even if it is short lived.

Well, the slide was awesome. Jackson said "Oooooo" and we played outside the rest of the evening. He is a little over it now but we just explore new ways to use it. Its nothing much...just a simple slide...but giving it to him was so much fun and such a great memory.

Weekend of the Year! (yeah right)

2011-11-08T10:34:00.000-08:00

Our exciting weekend started Thursday night actually with Jackson waking up in the middle of the night throwing up. It happened twice and was not very fun! Poor guy...they really have no idea how to handle such an awful experience.
Jackson seemed pretty good on Friday. He played like normal for the most part. We mostly stayed in but went to eat and Wal-mart that night. He was very good but didn't have much appetite.
Saturday we wanted to do something fun. We decided to go check out the Texas Renaissance Festival. (My next post will be about this!) Jackson really did seem fine and we were fine and we wanted to enjoy the beautiful weather. What we didn't know was how horrible the traffic getting there was. We were on a 2-lane highway in bumper to bumper traffic for about 6 miles and that took us at least 35 minutes. We took a detour and it wasn't long before Jackson lost his cookies in the back seat. But it wasn't too bad! We hit McDonalds (the place that heals all wounds) and he played and we decided to continue our journey to the Ren Fest. It was so great! Can't wait to look at and share some pics. If you live in the area you must go! We had a really great time...
And then the way home...yes-- cookies were lost again...all over the backseat...red cookies...that stain...

I cried, I really did...
And I prayed really hard that Jackson would not throw up again. We were still stuck in bumper to bumper and had no idea how long it would take us to get home. My prayers were answered...I am pretty sure Heavenly Father knew I had reached my breaking point.
We cleaned up everything and Ryan went to get us more wound healing food...(I am not going to tell you what that was!)
It was only hours later that Ryan woke up sick and a few hours after that, that I did.

We survived though! Jackson is still having some lingering side effects but he is eating again and Ryan is back at work. I just wanted to record this experience so I can look back and see that we made it through, and that we can again and again. But I really hated it...
:)

Was about to write this when I saw this and wondered how this family deals with the flu...

Journals and New Babies...

2011-11-02T11:37:00.000-07:00

I am going to try and make a much better effort to update my blog. I have to come up with some way to journal more and so I am going to try and write 3 posts a week...right now that seems realistic.

One reason I have felt so strongly for this is because Ryan is reading Rough Stone Rolling, the biography of Joseph Smith. Most of the book is comprised of letters that were written about the prophet. Other records used were Church history recorded by clerks at the time and of course, personal journals. How amazing it is that we know anything about him at all! It is all because of the things that were written down...

So I need to do better...

On a different subject--NEW BABY

I have never been good at journaling so there is even too few entries about my pregnancy with Jackson. But I am pretty sure anything said about this pregnancy is just on Facebook. Here are some highlights...

More sick than I was last time--I was sick and pretty depressed for a while...
Its going by soooo fast!! I am really enjoying this. I just can't believe it is only 4 months away.
Its a boy! Truth be told, I was a little bummed at first...but I never really thought it was a girl anyway. Glad Jackson will have a buddy and I hope they can be close.
I forgot how amazing it is to have a baby moving inside you...seriously nothing can replace it. I recognized it much easier this time and am enjoying the feeling. It is still bearable at this point until he gets bigger and starts doing summersaults.
A bit more complication this time around--a low lying placenta. Nothing that seems like too big of deal. I have to have an ultrasound in a week and will find out if it has moved to a better place. The placenta is attached but as the baby and uterus grow, it can move to a better location. Biggest problem is that it can cause bleeding. There are some things you have to avoid and if it doesn't get better, I will definitely be having another C-Section. Not horrible news but I was hoping to try the other way...
I am just excited to grow our family and see if I can really love something that much again...like Jackson. I am sure it is possible and am glad I know what to expect this time. Just hoping for a calmer child...

Happiest of Halloween's

2011-11-02T11:25:00.000-07:00

I always enjoyed Halloween as a kid, but I haven't not been too interested the last few years in creating costumes or anything. Just the candy--which is pretty typical for me...

But Jackson had a great time at our Trunk or Treat, visiting the pumpkin patch, and Trick or Treating in our neighborhood.

On Saturday we visited a little farm with a pumpkin batch. It wasn't the best farm we have been to. In Idaho, we went to a huge fantastic one that had a camel in the petting zoo. This one was pretty run down and not equipped for large amounts of people. But we still had fun and here are some things we did...

Hayride!--Jackson really loved this
Pony ride--I think Jackson liked this-he didn't try to get off but he was kind of out of it afterward
Petting zoo-Only a mini donkey, mini horse, and one hilarious pot belly pic
Haunted forest--Next year we will skip this one! Although in the middle of the day and extremely hokey, Jackson still got pretty scared. He was traumatized after that...even scared of Jack-o-lanterns trick or treating.
Train ride behind a lawnmower--pretty lame and Jackson was scared..

That night we went to our ward Trunk or Treat. We had so much fun!

Jackson got to feed carrots to a stuffed rabbit who would then give him a treat in return. He was there all night!
We danced to the music and ate yummy hot dogs
There was a bean bag toss and a little pool with duckies that was also a hit with out little man.
Finally he did a great job Trunk or Treating and said thank you at all the trunks!

Trick or Treating on Monday was fun too...

His friend Elias came dressed as a Tiger. They wanted to go into every house that opened the door! It was funny but also really annoying...
We went a long ways--Jackson did pretty good but was scared at the really decorated houses...and I was really tired by the end. We didn't have too many come to our door mostly because we are in the back.

Love this pic of all the little boy super heroes! Jackson just needed a Batman!

Lovin the great state of Texas!

2011-06-30T11:17:00.000-07:00

We have now been here for 3 weeks and I am really enjoying our time here! Moving is some crazy business though and life has been crazy...

Here are some of my thoughts about where we live:

What I love:
All the shopping and restaurants of my dreams!
The super nice and friendly people. I have opened my own door like 2 times.
The culture--Kids here actually have to learn and say the Texas pledge everyday at school. I think that is pretty weird but they also say the Pledge of Allegiance and that is disappearing in many places. They are also allowed to refer to God and sing Christmas songs.
Everyone goes to church here and isn't afraid to talk about it.
We go to a really cool gym which is more like a family fun center. It has and indoor and outdoor pool with water slides and a climbing gym.
We are in the process of buying a house--in the very early stages. I hope it works out because we really like it.
So far loving our new wards--we have already been to two different ones...

Some things I don't love:
Our aparment--no washer and dryer and its kinda scary. PLUS the train, firestation, and hospital and street...
Sometimes the heat but for the most part it doesn't really bother me.
I still miss my wonderful friends...
Boise was very safe and clean--its a little different here
Buying a house from a bank--what a hassle!

Anyway, I just wanted to post a little update. This weekend we are actually driving to my parents house! I still can't believe it and I am really excited.

Happy Independence Day!!

Graduation and moving!!

2011-05-15T18:51:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time since I was on here and honestly I have been okay with that. We have so much going on and it has been pretty healthy to take a break. I plan on using this as more of a journal and hopefully will keep up.

Ryan graduated with his Masters of Business Administration degree yesterday! Jackson and I did attend commencement and he did really good. He watched and cheered for a while before falling asleep on my lap. After Ryan's name was called we waited outside to greet the graduates. We ate at Joe's Crabshack on the Boise River to celebrate.

We are moving on June 7th to Houston, TX. We are really excited and having been anticipating it for a while. The closer we get the realization of leaving all of our friends makes me sad. Boise has been an amazing place to live but we are ready for our next adventure. We are slowly packing a little bit everyday. Funny thing--Ryan served his mission in Houston so in a way he feels like he is going home. The apartment we will be living in for a few months is actually in the same apartment complex where he lived in his last area! It was completely coincidental that we chose to live there. We are having a open house on June 1 from 7-9 for any of our friends that can stop by and say goodbye!

We are so blessed and excited for the next phase of our life!

What I CAN change...

2011-03-09T12:28:00.000-08:00

I have had a lot on my mind lately...

worry and fear...

but not about anything to do with my own little family

I even had a dream about it last night...

family, money, jobs
a friend who might be avoiding me
a son addicted to television at such a young age (this one is about us!)
and a friend who had to stop her two incredible blogs because of privacy issues (this one is bugging me particularly bad at the moment--because I never think about safety on my blog--do I even have enough readers to?)

But I hit the gym today for spin class (a small addiction of mine)

I was so glad...

Finally something I CAN change...

Myself and my own body...

Every time I thought about something that I CAN'T change or control

I pushed harder, added resistance

or went faster

REVITALIZED

2011-03-07T21:57:00.000-08:00

To give new life to...

I have been a little down in the dumps and couldn't figure out why. (Please don't see a pattern here!) But I had a very pleasant and surprising weekend. The first weekend of the month is usually the worst because Ryan has class all day which makes it FEEL like EVERY other day of the week...and not a fun Saturday. But I was blessed to have a babysitter and go to the temple in the morning. I hate to admit that it has been sometime since a visit and I was pretty desperate. I was only there for about 40 minutes but I felt so peaceful and grateful to be there.

Sunday's are always difficult with a kids who refuses to stay in sacrament but we did our best and took turns leaving. We witnessed 3 baby blessings-a little boy and twins from another family. I had not been to church for 2 Sundays in a row so it had been 3 whole weeks since I was there. We also had to do nursery. I haven't been too excited about my new calling but I am getting used to it. We only had one kid + our own so we took turns going to class. Ryan let me go to Relief Society and I really enjoyed it.

We had a very nice Sunday being together as a family and I was very grateful to realize that I was missing some of that spirit in my life. I truly felt revitalized by the short but precious spiritual moments I had. It helped motivate me to do those things that will make me feel good this week.

Vegas Vacation--The Land of Jimmy BUFFETs

2011-03-07T21:34:00.000-08:00

A summary of food, entertainment, and lodging from our trip...

Entertainment:

I found this to be the best deal of all! Mostly because we really enjoyed touring the many extravagant hotels and malls that adorn the Vegas Strip. Some of the must sees--The Luxor, Bellagio, Ceasars Palace, and the MGM Grand. There were some we didn't get to of course that I would like to check out next time. We did spend quite a bit of money on some Cirque Du Soliel tickets to see KA. It was definitely worth the money. But ticket prices go down the longer the show runs. They were running a 2 for $99 deal for Mystere which would more affordable and still amazing. You have to see the dancing water show at the Bellagio. It was by far one of my favorite things.

Do get away from the strip for the day we visited the Hoover Damn. The picture below is my favorite from the trip--the Colorado river coming through this massive man made wonder of the world.

There are 2 tour options- one is $11 and one is $30. Guess which one we choose! I thought the tour was worth it. It is a pretty incredible place with a crazy history. Definitely worth a short trip out of the city. In the summer a visit to Lake Meade would be really fun too.

Food:
Unfortunately I have little to say in this area. I didn't think there were very many good deals. Wanna go to a buffet at a nice hotel--expect to pay $30-$50! We went to one buffet at Gold Coast Casino. It was okay--delicious hush puppies.
My favorite deal was some Gelato we got at the Bellagio. It was a big cup for $4.95. A much better deal than one small scoop for $6.95 at Ceasars. Several food courts have McDonalds and other fast food establishments. They are the same prices as regular McDonalds--I guess we thought it would be like airport fast food with super inflated prices.

Lodging:
This is where we stayed...

It is a true staple to the Las Vegas strip. (Since getting home I have watched Oceans 11 and 21-each showed this crazy flashing sign!)
But we would never stay here again. It was the cheapest on the strip. Beautiful gardens and pools but the pools were closed for the season while many hotels still had them open. Rooms were clean enough but nothing special. We had a nice view of the tropical gardens from our room on the 6th floor.
We decided we would spend more money on a better hotel when we went for a walk at night and happened upon some dancing girls in the casino. We hid our eyes and went for a different door. It was pretty shocking because the nice hotels and casinos only have this show behind closed doors. We also waited to check in for about 45 minutes with an exhausted 1 year old that just wanted to drop a few quarters in the slot machines. One way to save money on lodging is to not stay on the strip. You have to drive a good amount anyway and you can probably get a nicer place to stay that is not as seedy. Also, the new Trump tower hotel does not have a casino in it--this could be a really nice draw for those looking for a more family friendly trip.
My dream hotels to stay in--Bellagio, Wynn, and the Luxor.

We had a great time. Believe it or not, I thought taking our 1 year old was okay. If he was old enough to remember everything we saw, I would be worried!

Vegas Vacation--And NOT the Chevy Chase kind...PART 1

2011-03-02T13:06:00.000-08:00

Believe it or not, I did not get a picture of the strip! So mad!

We had a really great time in this city of lights. Let me start by saying it wasn't your typical visit to sin city. We don't drink or gamble and we took our one year old. We didn't see very many other kids around but there were some. Our trip consisted of a great deal of walking and visiting all the many hotels the strip has to offer. There was also much time spent hiding our eyes from various sights around us! But I promised sharing with you some good deals and what we think is a pretty affordable trip.

Lets start with the airline--we flew out of Twin Falls, Idaho on Allegiant Air. This is a very small airline that saves money by using very small airports and having limited days and times of flights. Check out what they have available near where you live. (I know that you can fly very cheaply to LA from XNA in Arkansas)

We paid a total of $262.74. That really isn't bad considering it was 2 adults and a lap child. We did have to drive 2 hours to get there. It is a super easy drive especially when listening to This American Life. Jackson did HORRIBLE on the plane but he is amazing in the car so we thought it was worth the drive to save about $120 per person for a ticket from Boise. And, if you buy your tickets more in advance or at a different time, you can get them for as cheap as $40 each way! That is unheard of right now for flying. We have always felt that Boise was kind of an island. The only places to fly cheaply are Washington and Oregon. Getting to a warmer area south was very nice. Also, you don't have to pay to park your car at Twin Falls airport. Very nice!

BUT--there were definite downsides from flying on a small airline. We had to arrive 2 hours early and wait in line for a long time while they used their old-school system. (This was not bad at all in Las Vegas). Then the plane was 45 minutes late and it took us another 45 minutes of waiting on the plane before we finally took off. They seemed very slow and unorganized. It was extremely frustrating with a tired child. It seemed like they had a reputation to always be 1.5 -2 hours late! The waiting room was very small and our plane was totally packed. Las Vegas was much better to fly out of. Overall-we would fly the airline again if we weren't bringing our kid. In other areas the airport may be much nicer.

This post is getting too long! I think I will do a couple of posts on our trip. Tomorrow I will talk about our hotel...

All about the Dough

2011-02-28T15:15:00.000-08:00

And I don't mean cookie batter...

Many of my friends and family over the last few years have commented on my little families frugality. Recently I have come to understand that Ryan and I's spending habits are more of a hobby. We are constantly looking for a GOOD DEAL but most others see us as just down right cheap.

I fully understood my own obsession when I was suggesting good places to eat to a new friend that just moved here. ALL of my suggestions were based on our favorite places to eat for the value, not just the taste of the food. Each comment was followed by "we split a meal for $5 and it is way more than enough food," or "we only pay such and such to eat there!" After explaining exactly how much we spend at every restaurant we go to, I realized that most people do not explain things in the same way--at least with not exact dollar amounts.

The funny thing is, we think we are really good at this! So I have decided to start sharing our "best deals" on my blog. You have to know that we LOVE eating out and that I hate to cook. In order to do it more often, we try to be very thrifty and calculating with our decisions. We also eat fast food often, so many of my best deals won't apply to you if the idea of McDonalds, Burger King, or Taco Bell gross you out. This way of life is definitely not for everyone but maybe you can get some ideas. We also love traveling and want to do it often, so we cut costs as much as possible. I have not been like this my whole life. Ryan is really the good one and has taught me so much over the last 4 years.

Tomorrow I will share a post on our trip to Las Vegas. We got back last night and it was a very fun and interesting trip. I will try to share some of our best deals.

Riding on a Jet Plane--Viva Las Vegas!

2011-02-24T08:56:00.000-08:00

Heading out for the weekend and we are pumped! Let me know if you think there is something you have to do in this crazy city!

Amazing Mormon mommy blogging fanatic WANNABE

2011-02-22T09:48:00.000-08:00

All of you amazing blogging moms out there:

How do you do it??!?!

I really want to know how you find time to keep up with your blogging. Especially if you have a personal blog and another one that you work on. I want to be better at it and try to make it interesting but right now Jackson is banging his head on the wall trying to get my attention (SERIOUSLY). So how do you find time to do it and what are some other tips you have for me- an amazing Mormon mommy blogging fanatic wannabe!

Action Jackson

2011-02-22T09:40:00.000-08:00

Here are just a few things I love about this cute kid at 14 months old...

Blows kisses
Gives hugs and kisses
Sleeps well--for the last few weeks Jackson has been going to bed really great. We got him off of the bottle and started a new little routine-milk in a sippy and a cartoon for 10 minutes while sitting on mommies lap. Then he puts his head on my shoulder while a sing him "I am a Child of God. Then he leans towards his bed and goes to sleep. These last few minutes of the day are some of the best!
Says quack (and tries to make a quack gesture with his hand) moo, and makes a monkey sound.
Loves to run to daddy when he gets home from work
Climbs on everything--he just started climbing up into his dinner chair. Yesterday he sat there watching his favorite show for a while!
Loves going outside
Copies us fake laughing! He even throws his head like us.
Can now climb down the stairs on his own (but it still gives me a heart attack!)
We just started drawing as an activity. He does very well holding the pencils and can now even turn them around correctly.
Knocks on the door
Knows when he is dressed and has his shoes on that we are leaving. He usually waits impatiently by the door.
Eats just about everything including homemade filafal and onions. He really loves vanilla wafers. I am pretty sure he is going to love sweets like his mom.
Jackson is completely addicted to television. In the morning he comes downstairs and sits down in front of the TV until you turn it on for him. He will also turn it on, if he wants it, and off if it is something he doesn't want to watch. This is a big challenge for me and I am working against it very hard. He also loves the computer.
He does sit and look at his books sometimes throughout the day, but he is not very interested if I try to read it to him.

I know there are more hilarious things he does because we are laughing all the time! He is crazy and going all the time. He really has grown into his nickname that Great-Grandma Glo has given him--he truly is Action Jackson!

My First Furniture Project...

2011-01-31T11:38:00.000-08:00

I bought this chair in early December to use for photography. I knew I always wanted to paint it. I have been wanting to try distressing and redoing something for a while. The following photos are my step by step process. Not all the photos have great lighting! Sorry! Let me know what you think! This was mostly practice for future projects.

A Carter Christmas

2011-01-25T20:13:00.000-08:00

Caroline and Michael are great friends and cousins. This is almost a fantastic picture...if only I could have gotten their hands in the frame.

This and the next few were taken at the Annual Carter Christmas party. There were tons of wonderful people there. I wish we could know them better.

This is Elizabeth (left) and little sister Suzanne. This sweet little baby could have dozens of pictures taken of her. She is truly ADORABLE.

Grandma and Grandpa Carter. This is by far my favorite picture from the trip.

It's no wonder cousin Allison won over Jackson's heart. (If she is not voted Miss Congeniality later in life I will be really surprised!) Here they are playing at Christmas Eve dinner. He REALLY loved her!

Our 4 year anniversary date!

We were going to ride one of these...

See we even had (have) tickets...


But after waiting in line for 1.5 hours, we didn't have time! But our tickets never expire. If you need any only $10!


The guys had a great time playing pool.

Cousin Toby...another one of my favorite shots. Jackson really adored him too.

Funky Funky

2011-01-24T14:56:00.000-08:00

WHAT GETS YOU OUT OF A FUNK!??!

(Deviant Art)

I have been in a serious funk the last few weeks. I blame it on WINTER! Not only am I bored out of my mind, Jackson is equally bored and cranky. Unfortunately I depend on looking forward to something to keep me motivated and positive. I know I should live in the moment...I'm still working on it. And I know I have an amazing life and so much to be grateful for! But I still let mundane life get to me.

My husband thinks that spending money is what usually helps. This could be true but, believe it or not, I am learning that buying a pair of shoes or something for my house is short lived gratification. It is definitely not enough to get me out of a hole this deep. For me now, it is about experience and growth--and getting a break from motherhood sometimes. Still, my solution is still expensive--

a trip

A GYM MEMBERSHIP!

I can see the light people! I really think this is what I need. Did I mention this membership comes with unlimited child care. SOLD. That means I can take a class then hit the spa. All the while Jackson is getting some much needed child interaction and playtime. Being away from Mommy never hurts either. It may be small but this is the best I have felt for a couple of weeks. (The Dr. Pepper from lunch helped too! My first one for a couple of weeks)

Makeup is a good thing...

2011-01-21T20:33:00.000-08:00

These are some before and after shots I took of myself while getting ready for my hot date tonight! Sorry about the bad shots...taking pics of yourself is kind of hard. After doing my hair (which still didn't look that good!) and changing into a favorite outfit (skinny jeans, black boots, and cute blue top with new BLING necklace) I was excited and ready to go. I was just happy that my husband asked me out and found a babysitter!

*Dinner was really fun too! We thought we would blow our entire $25 gift card at Chilis. Then we decided to order chips and salsa and a 3 choice appetizer plate. Total cost 14.00 + tip. So we still have $10 on our gift card for another trip to a great restaurant. You think that would not be enough food but we were both stuffed!

I said yes...

2011-01-21T17:00:00.000-08:00

This is all I need for my hot date tonight...

New website

2011-01-04T20:26:00.000-08:00

Check out my new website! I will be keeping this blog so keep checking in. Just visit www.jacklyncarterphotography.com

It is a work in progress. I will be working hard to get more images posted. Share it with your friends as well!

Quack Quack Quack Quack

2011-01-04T20:22:00.000-08:00

Five little ducks went out one day
over the hills and far away
Mother Duck said Quack Quack Quack Quack
But only four little ducks came back...

It truly is a very sad song and book. The mother duck looks more sad every time less ducks come home. Not to spoil it for you, but at the very end they all come back with their own duck families! I wouldn't read it anymore if that didn't happen.

Jackson loves music and singing. We heard this song/book at the library once and then I picked it up at the library sale. We sing it everyday and it is definitely his favorite! Tonight he even went to get the book and bring it to me. Then we realized he was "quacking" like a duck and trying to do the hand motions!

It has been a rewarding day to be a mom. We really love seeing Jackson do new things. Crazy how much we live for it.

Our other new favorite thing he does--folds him arms when we are praying! I am shocked he can do that at this age.

An entire year old!!

2010-12-15T09:33:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we celebrated Jackson's first birthday! It was so much fun and I can't believe this time has already come. Here are some things he is doing these days...

WALKING and almost running! He just started getting up from the floor too. Up until this last weekend he had to crawl up furniture or people to stand up.

CLIMBING--I recently got a cute little wooden kids chair. I didn't think he would care at all about it but after just a couple of hours he was climbing and standing on it! Scary but really cute too...as long as the chair stays together...

COMMUNICATING--Okay so he kind of knows one sign-more, but he uses it to answer anything we ask him. "Jackson, do you food? CLAP, CLAP, CLAP. Do you want water? CLAP, CLAP, CLAP!" He may not know what it means exactly but I believe he is at least learning communication. He knows I am asking him to tell me what he wants and he is trying to answer me.

Gets into EVERYTHING and PLAYS a lot.

My mall shopping days are over--he won't stay in one store or the play area.

Loves his bottle and tv but now he can hit the buttons so he turns it off or changes the channel.

Pulls stuff off tables and shelves.

My mom just left this morning after a week visit. We had so much fun and Jackson loved playing with his Grandma. It was a great blessing for us to have a help and a little break. Going shopping was like a dream! And we enjoyed going to the hot tub a couple of nights. We miss Grandma already but are excited about visiting Grandma and Grandpa Carter in California in a few days.

We are so blessed to have this little boy in our lives. I want to do all I can to teach him and help him be successful in life. He makes us laugh all day long! We love you so much Jackson!

The beginning...

2010-11-15T21:54:00.000-08:00

I persuaded some of my friends to take their pictures this weekend. It was so much fun and I finally have some I want to share. I am working on setting up a photography blog and trying to nail down a name. Let me know if you have any suggestions!

I really feel like this is the beginning of a new passion for me. Ryan has been so supportive and I am very grateful for that.

New Hairdos

2010-11-08T13:12:00.000-08:00

This last weekend Jackson and I got new looks! I wanted to share them with you. Ryan was supposed to get a haircut as well but we didn't get a chance yet. What do you think?!

I was so sad after I cut all of Jackson's hair off! It was so long and crazy though I had to do something. It will grow back--probably faster than I want.

Early Happy Birthday to me!

2010-11-04T13:44:00.000-07:00

I am about to turn 25 and today I got my early present in the mail! A new camera lens! Here are some shots I took right out of the box. I have alot to learn but it is pretty fun how different these pictures can look. P.S. If you have a canon SLR this is an extremely affordable lens. I am almost embarrassed because it is so cheap. BUT if you want to take cook pictures, your learning, and you don't have alot of money to invest, so far (from using it the last hour!) I think this is a great option.

There were many more that were okay but I am sure I will be posting pictures all the time now. My photography class is over and I am glad that I took it. I learned quite a bit and now see the world around me differently. I am always looking for a good picture. It also gave me more confidence to pursue this interest. Several friends are letting me take pictures of their kids or family. I am very grateful because I really want to practice. I just hope we all have fun!

PS The quality on my blog does not do these pictures justice!!

First Steps

2010-11-03T12:05:00.000-07:00

Jackson just took his first steps!! I can't believe it! He walked about 2.5 feet. I really could have missed it, I was barely paying attention. If only I had the video camera! I bet it is a while before he does it again--which is pretty typical for him.

I just wanted to record this huge milestone! I can't believe he is almost a year old. Life goes too fast now!

I want to do it ALL!!!

2010-10-29T13:52:00.000-07:00

For some reason my creative side is craving stuff to do!! It is driving me crazy. There is so much I want to do but I haven't actually gotten started on anything! I am dying to do photography, decorating, baking, and sewing projects. My brain and computer are so overwhelmed that I probably won't actually do anything today. I might make these declicious looking cupcakes. I have baby showers coming up and want to make them almost totally useless presents that are so adorable!! I have been searching for softie toy patterns that I want to try out. I have never made them before but they look really fun and cute.

Which do you like best!?

I love the owls (they are totally in right now!) , but right now the sea horse is my favorite...totally off the wall and cute.

Halloween sneak peak...

2010-10-25T19:55:00.000-07:00

WE DID IT!!

2010-10-23T20:22:00.000-07:00

We completed our first half marathon today! It was a great experience and we even had a little fun. We ran with 5 of our friends from church and some of us stayed together for the entire race!

The weather was not the best--cold, cloudy, and a little bit rainy. I did appreciate the sun being covered. We were running around the prison in the middle of the desert and I know the sun beating down on me would have really taken a toll. The start of the race was pretty exciting. We were running for the Peace Keepers Memorial--an organization that honors fallen police officers and their families. So we started with an antique plane flying overhead and then they ran than sirens of the prison. I thought this was a pretty exciting way to start! It was fun with the other runners except a little closterphobic.

The pack started to break up by mile 2. Ryan and I felt really good pretty much the whole time. At almost every mile they had a water and gatorade stand. We would run by call out what we want, drink fast, and then throw the cup on the ground (they always picked up after us). I know its silly but I thought this was fun--I think it made me feel like a professonal.

We kept a really great pace--probably about 6.3 miles per hour. I felt really good until about 11.5 miles. At that point there was a big hill up ahead and I was really struggling. I wanted to walk very badly. Ryan was doing better than he expected and he kept me going. He told me I could do it and just to slow down and focus. I really think I would have given up without him there. If anyone wants to do this, I strongly encourage having a partner that will be there with you the whole time. It was so great being together. We made it up the brutal hill that started at mile 12. I wanted to push it the last mile as hard as I could to see how many people I could pass. So, I took off with Ryan's blessing and really pushed it. It was so hard. I caught up to one of my friends and was trying to pass her but she wouldn't let me! She said "I am going to keep up with you Jackie" and we sprinted into the finish line! It was hilarious because in my mind I wanted to beat her so bad.

I felt very competitive at first. That was not very helpful because I needed to reserve my energy. I wonder what would have happened if I had slowed down in the beginning. Maybe I could have pushed harder and faster in the end. But it really didn't seem like you could make much headway at the end and I think I would have been just as tired no matter what. It all came down to a matter of seconds really. Four of us all finished within 1.5 minutes of eachother right around 2 hours and 5 minutes. I really wish I had just stayed with Ryan and we could have crossed the finish line together. But I was glad to cheer him through the end--after I made sure I didn't faint. They had food afterwards but I felt pretty sick and didn't get my appetite back until a few hours later.

We celebrated by having dinner at my favorite place-Texas Roadhouse. I ate tons and tons and still could have eaten more. Then we made brownies! We earned it.

What a great experience. We completed our goals--run the entire time and finish within 2 hrs and 20 minutes. I really feel like anyone can do this. It just takes training and dedication. I plan on running many more half marathons in my life. I however still have ZERO desire to run a full marathon. Not sure if that will change but right now never ever. We are also very sore today--more than I thought.

Thank you for all of your support! We really appreciate it!

Iphone Addict

2010-10-21T19:28:00.000-07:00

I am an Iphone addict...

And I am learning this isn't good for me--but I guess being addicted to anything isn't very good.

Honestly, my iphone is not my problem. The problem really is facebook and my iphone makes facebook WAY too accessible. We all know the internet is amazing. I am very grateful for facebook and that it allows me to be connected to people I am curious and thinking about.

The problem isn't really just facebook--it's the internet.

But then again the problem isn't really the internet...it's pride. I know I am not explaining this well (another thing I envy from other's on the internet).

Seeing what is going on in other's lives takes a toll on my own happiness. I know it sounds awful, but I tend to get jealous and envious--usually over other people's talents. I spend time looking at my friends blogs--I see how funny they are. I know people that are amazing writers and photographers. Most are just amazing women in general. I wish I could just be grateful to witness others talents and appreciate them, but it usually just makes me feel like I have none.

Years ago before the internet existed this wasn't a problem. People just lived their own happy lives and they didn't know any different. They focused on eachother and didn't have the ability to follow others so closely. I feel like this is the lifestyle I need to live.

I have so much to be grateful for. I have an incredible life--all the truly important things are there and thensome. If I just lived my own life and focused on it, I doubt I would ever feel without.

There was a great talk given during the Priesthood session of General Conference. The talk is about pride and is found here. I am so grateful for the bold things that are said and I plan on studying the talk at least 7 times. It truly is exactly what I need to learn.

Am I really done???

2010-10-18T21:02:00.000-07:00

Let's just say I am all dried up...

My relationship with breastfeeding has certainly been a love-hate one. In the beginning utter hate and despair, then it got better, then Jackson got distracted, then it got faster and a little better, then teeth came...something like that. But I have always used bottles (breastmilk and formula) and that has helped me a lot. The last couple of months though I slowly started using more bottles and losing my milk supply. I know I could get it back but I just don't know if I want to.

Sometimes I do

And most times I don't

Part of me will miss how close it makes you feel to your child. I love the feeling and idea that after birth he still gets his nourishment directly from me. I love being needed. But honestly, I am surprised that I think I will miss it at all.

I guess I will just let things happen. Jackson isn't totally ready to be done. He told me that very grouchily today. I just can't believe he is almost one and I already know I will miss all of this much to soon. I have really tried to enjoy it--to make sure that everyday we play together on the floor and wrestle and learn things together, but it still won't be enough.

But guess what, I will do this all over again with another sweet and rambuntous spirit (not anytime soon! But eventually). I bet I hate breastfeeding more then or just as much. I will forget how difficult it is and then will be brutally reminded.

I know this post seems scattered but I just think life is beautiful and I am so grateful that I have gotten to enjoy these last few months with my little boy.

How's the outfit?

2010-10-13T15:52:00.000-07:00

Yes the tags are still on...

We are getting family pictures this weekend. I am so excited and really want them to be great. I know they will be amazing, but I hope to have some cute outfits. Let me know what you think about this one...

The last ones....I promise

2010-10-10T20:12:00.000-07:00

I know you are tired of these pictures but I am really just playing...

2010-10-09T20:34:00.000-07:00

Fun at the Park

2010-10-09T19:39:00.000-07:00

I took Jackson to the park the other day and practiced taking some pictures. Some of them turned out pretty good...

Is that not the sweetest face!

More pics

2010-10-03T20:38:00.000-07:00

10/02/10

10/03/10

Photography Class

2010-09-30T09:32:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to learn more about taking pictures for a long time. It doesn't come very naturally to me. Especially since I have Jackson now, I really want to be able to take good pictures of him. I have been looking into community education classes for a long time but it was finally the right time to take the class. It works out perfectly because Ryan can watch Jackson and it gets me out of the house for a couple of hours.

Tuesday was our first class. It was very interesting. There are only 2 other people in their 20s--75% are grandparents. So most of the people in the class have no knowledge at all about their digital cameras. I enjoyed the class very much though and know that I will still learn a lot. It does not really cover editing photos which will be the next thing I really want to learn.

We have had a couple of challenges: one is to take a picture a day through the entire class. This is a short version of 365 PAD. A friend of mine did this for a long time and I thought it was really cool. I am not sure about doing it for a whole year yet but I am definitely going to try for 6 weeks. Rules: You can't take a picture of the same object twice and you have to do it everyday. So I will try to share them with you as often as possible! I assure you that many of them will be very lame but a few might be interesting...


9/28/10 Onion


9/29/10 Jackson's Friend

Here is a few more not apart of this project. These are from the Hot Air Balloon Festival we went to a few weeks ago. It was a night lighting and was really cool.

I love this picture and these boys!

The Old Stomping Ground

2010-09-23T21:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we visited BYU where Ryan graduated with his BS. It was obviously a very nostalgic experience for him. We were only married there for one semester (4 months) but it holds good and hard memories for me as well. I did attend school while there and realized it was an amazing place to be. I often think it would have been great to go there right after high school, but I would never replace the amazing experiences I had at the University of Arkansas. Ryan and I would definitely NOT have met...or dated or I wouldn't have pursued him as adamantly. I wouldn't have been interesting and who knows what would have happened to me!

We did however have one semester at the Y and I wanted to share some awesome memories.

We lived above a dentist office.
We were poor like everyone else and our date nights usually consisted of MacDonalds
We had two fun adventures:

We went snow shoeing in the canyon to some hot springs. Yes there were nude people there. Yes there is an awesome (hilarious) picture of me in my bathing suit and Yes Ryan would not let me post it on the internet. Oh and in case you were wondering--Yes we changed in the middle of the forest behind a towel. It was cold but we had so much fun.

We also went camping on Antelope Island. (A beautiful island in the Great Salt Lake!) It was windy and rained and we didn't sleep at all. But we learned some church history and made a good memory.

Finally Ryan graduated and to Boise we went.

We visited yesterday to attend the Career Fair that Ryan got his current job at 4 years ago. This one was different. He now has 3 years experience and is graduating in May with an MBA. This fair was also successful: 2 interviews (one on Saturday) and many more contacts and interesting prospects. I am so proud of him and how hard he works for OUR career. We are so excited for the next stage of our lives. But I am excited about the last good memories we will make in Boise. It has been so good to us.

Great Trip to Cali

2010-09-10T10:49:00.000-07:00

Here some pics from our trip to California to visit Ryan's family. We had such a great trip! Almost everyone was there (we missed our brother-in-law, JM) and we enjoyed camping and hanging out together.
We began in the Sierra Mountains near Lake Tahoe. This is a little river we play in by the property.

Baby Jackson with sweet cousin Allison!

Jackson with Great Grandma Nona! We got to celebrate her 80th birthday while we were there!

Ryan and I went for a super fun trail ride on the quads. It was a bit nerve racking and just a little dusty...


Jackson with Grandpa Carter! This is the best picture from our trip!


4 Generations of Carters. I am so grateful we were able to get this picture.

We finished our trip by visiting a beautiful little beach town called Half Moon Bay. We ate at a great restaurant that really had the best clam chowder I have ever tasted. There is a beautiful inn right on the beach.

We had so much fun visiting our family. It was the first trip I have had there that I was able to imagine living there and all that comes with that. We even drove around San Jose looking for where we might live on day. It was hard to come back to Boise and we look forward to moving on to our next adventure...probably in the great state of California.

Follow Me

2010-09-01T21:45:00.000-07:00

I have decided to train and run in half marathon this October. I am blogging daily about my training. Follow along at

http://halfandhalftraining.blogspot.com

Thanks for your support!!

The World is Mine--a poem

2010-08-30T10:28:00.000-07:00

Today, upon a bus, I saw a lovely girl with golden hair,
I envied her, she seemed so gay, and
wished I were as fair,
When suddenly she rose to leave, I saw
her hobble down the aisle;
She had one leg, and wore a crutch; and
as she passed --- a smile.

Oh, God, forgive me when I whine,
I have two legs. The world is mine.

And then I stopped to buy some sweets;
the lad who sold them had such charm,
I talked with him, he seemed so glad ---if
I were late 'twould do no harm,
And as I left he said to me: "I thank you.
You have been so kind,
It's nice to talk to folks like you. You see,
he said, "I'm blind."

Oh, God, forgive me when I whine,
I have two eyes. The world is mine.

Later, walking down the street, I saw a
child with eyes of blue,
He stood and watched the others play; it
seemed he knew what to do,
I stopped a moment, then I said: "Why
don't you join the others, dear?"
He looked ahead without a word, and then
I knew he could not hear.

Oh, God, forgive me when I whine,
I have two ears. The world is mine.

With legs to take me where I'd go,
With eyes to see the sunset's glow,
With ears to hear what I would know,
Oh, God, forgive me when I whine.
I'm Blessed indeed. The world is mine.

~ Dot Aaron ~

A Much Needed Night

2010-08-30T10:09:00.000-07:00

Last night I went with a couple of girlfriends to a fireside. I haven't been to one in a while but I knew I was in need of some spiritual uplifting. It started with the most beautiful musical number I have heard in a while- an acapella version of "I'm Trying to be Like Jesus." It brought tears to my eyes--it felt good.

The speaker was a sister named Bonnie Jensen. The summary of her story is that she had an infection that caused her body to go into septic shock. She only had a 2% chance of survival once all of her body organs shut down and was in a coma for 2 weeks. When she woke up she was told that she would have to get her arms and fingers amputated if she wanted to live.

Her message to us was about the last ten years of her life and how she used the Atonement of Jesus Christ to face her trials. I wanted to share some of the highlights from her talk:

Things she learned:

Illness and tragedy is very tutoring
The Savior will help us carry our burdens
We are stronger than we think we are
We are much more loved (by those around us) than we think we are
Our lives are intertwined in ways you never realize/ We don't know how much influence we have on each other
It is okay to cry and laughter is very therapeutic
You don't have to look very far to find something to be grateful about

She shared a story of a famous violinist who broke a string during a huge concert. He had polio and could not walk very fast. Instead of changing his strings, he continued playing and recomposing the music as he played. The audience was in shock of the miracle they witnessed and gave him a standing ovation. After his bow he said, "It's the musicians job to figure out how much music he can make with what he's got." Our music will be beautiful if we include the Savior in our lives.

She also shared many humorous stories including one about how her prosthetic leg flew off into her husbands lap during sacrament meeting. A little boy next to her said, "HOLY COW" really loud and she leaned over and said, "Don't you hate it when that happens."

I am so glad I had the chance to go and listen to this amazing woman. It encourages me to have faith that I will be able to get through the trails in this life. I am so glad she reminded me we have so much to be grateful for...

Hidden Beauty--Northern Idaho

2010-07-12T08:20:00.000-07:00

Last weekend for Independence Day we took a road trip to Northern Idaho. Here are some of the highlights...

We started by driving on the freeway through Oregon and Washington. We stopped in Spokane--which we actually thought was a pretty cool town. Here is a shot of the beautiful bridge they have right down town.

Northern Idaho has several large lakes. We visited Spirit Lake, Lake Pend Oreille, and Lake Coer Dalene. Our favorite town to visit was Sandpoint. A beautiful mountain lake community with a great little downtown area. We even saw Ben Stein coming out of Starbucks. He has a summer home there.

We watched fireworks in a little town called Bay view--a truly incredible bay on Lake Pend Oreille. We drove up on the side of the mountain and watched the fireworks light up the water below. Interestingly, because of its depth, this particular lake was a research facility for the US Navy. There was actually a fort there and they used to test underwater sonar for submarines during WWII. Great place to celebrate the Independence of our nation and the freedoms we have here.

On the way home we took Hwy 95 through Idaho. It was also amazing country and very unique. We stopped in Moscow and ate at Mikey's Gyros and walked around downtown for a bit.

We had such a great trip. Thank you to our friends who and invited us and to their parents for letting us stay with them.

Catching up...

2010-06-22T09:30:00.000-07:00

This summer is flying by way to fast. Here is a bit about us right now...

Jackson just turned 6 months old. His first tooth came in while we were on vacation in Arkansas. He weights 19 pounds and is 28 inches long. It took 6 months but he is now sleeping good and eats lots of foods. He spends lots of time rolling around on the floor. Right now he moves over to the wall or couch and likes putting his feet and hands all over it. I think it is really interesting. He really brings so much joy to our life.

Ryan now has only one year left of school for his MBA. He still works for Aptina. This week he will be going to California for his Grandpa Ned's funeral. Although sad circumstances, I think he will enjoy seeing his family. This is the first time he has gone anywhere without us. It will be hard to be away from each other.

I had a great time visiting my family a couple of weeks ago. Hanging out with Jackson and my friends is how I mostly occupy my time during the weekdays. I am still the Relief Society president in my ward but we just got a new bishop and new boundaries so everything is very crazy right now.
We just renewed our lease at our apartment so this will be our 4th year living in Boise and we never moved apartments! We are taking a little vacation next weekend to northern Idaho and hopefully one to California later this summer.

I am amazed and grateful everyday for how happy we are. We are so blessed and are really able to enjoy life right now. I know that most of it has to do with living the gospel of Jesus Christ. I guess I just didn't know life could be this good... :)

A more productive life...

2010-06-22T08:54:00.001-07:00

Last week was the first time in a while that I felt like I was very productive with my time. I wondered why it was different. There were two big factors I realized.

1. The sad truth--I just didn't have anything else to do. Normally I schedule several things throughout the week. Last week, I didn't see anyone except the pediatrician on Friday at Jackson's 6 month appointment. Usually I would feel pretty lonely and sorry for myself, but it didn't seem to bother me. Probably because I had so much fun scrubbing the shower for 30 minutes one day. It's is totally worth it if you actually know it is clean afterwards.

2. The happy truth---Exercise. Every time I start working out again after a hiatus I realize what an impact it has on my quality of life. I started a podcast running program called Couch to 5k (Robert Ulley version). I love it because it is interval running, which I enjoy much more, and he coaches you along with upbeat music. Within 8 weeks you are trained to run a 5k. I am only on week 2, but I really like it. If I do it in the morning, there is truly NO stopping me! I get tons done.

One thing I love about TV

2010-06-18T10:08:00.000-07:00

Ryan and I have been following Gilmore Girls for the past few weeks--watching the old seasons aired on ABC Family. Many of you know that we are TV addicts and last night was one reason why. There was a very surprising part on the show--this show is very good at that! Both Ryan and I freaked out and jumped of the couch screaming!! It was so fun--we were so worked up after that, we couldn't sleep for a while. I mean, I am dramatic and tend to jump out of my seat often, but if Ryan reacts that way, you know it was a big deal! In the matter of about 5 minutes the writers of the show sent us through 5-10 different emotions and reactions. Just one of the reasons I love tv...

PS More to come soon. We just went on vacation to Arkansas, so lots to share!

Spring Break San Diego

2010-04-13T15:18:00.000-07:00

We got back last week from our spring break vacation to SoCal! Ryan's sister lives there so we were able to visit. It was a great trip with great weather. Some of the highlights:

Got a big surprise by Ryan's parents visiting!
We visited the world famous San Diego Zoo

Toured Old Town--The best part was the newly dedicated Mormon Battalion Museum--very, very impressive--a must see!
Hung out of the Beach
Got a visit from my Sister and her awesome family
Walked the Mission Bay Boardwalk and ate the biggest pizza ever
Rode the Ferry to Coronado Island
Watched Conference with the family
Spent the night in a nice hotel in LA

San Diego is a beautiful place and we loved downtown. It is a very modern city as you can see from the picture above. When Ryan graduates next year he will probably look for some jobs there. We really love the weather and all the great stuff there is to do!

Thought of the Day...

2010-03-02T21:11:00.000-08:00

"A mother's nurturing love arouses in children, from their earliest days on earth, an awakening of the memories of love and goodness they experienced in their premortal existence."

-M. Russell Ballard

I am really enjoying being a mother. How thankful I am to be able to stay home and be with my cute little boy.

What a day!

2010-03-01T13:53:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted in forever and right now, I really don't have much to say. I was looking through old pictures to see what I could put on here. I thought the difference between these were hilarious...

This is from my trip to Tahachapi, California to visit my sister. It was at the beginning of February.
Isn't he insanely cute?!? I just can't believe it! I feel so lucky everyday...

Oh and today is the most gorgeous day outside. I wish we had a bike trailer so we could go on a ride. 60 Degree weather in Boise on March 1 is not common. I am hoping it is a good sign of spring coming early!

A born expert...

2010-02-09T17:34:00.001-08:00

Jackson has the pout down to perfection...

Sometimes, things just go your way...

2010-02-09T16:56:00.000-08:00

Today was one of the really good days, ya know, when things acutally go the way you hope...

1. Jackson (sleeping in is crib as of this week) only woke up to eat twice last night! Or in other words, Mom learned that he does not need to be fed everytime he wakes up. He woke up at 6 after I had fed him at 5. I let him cry in his crib. It was only about 3 minutes, no longer, and he went back to sleep until 8. That is what I have wanted all along...just to sleep until 8 am.

2. Because we slept until 8 we both got up and then I got to go to the gym. So far I am being consistent, but 4 days of dedication is nothing to brag about.

3. Ry called at lunch time and told me Denny's was giving away free grandslams! We had a great lunch together and it as delicious. I only waited in line for about 20 minutes.

4. I finally found a nursing bra that works! It actually has support and I feel much more confident about going out in public. Unfortunately, it cost more than I ever, ever thought I would spend on a bra, but it is worth it. And I do have to get used to the super Madonna look it gives. (Maybe you can get an idea of what that means...) Thank you BirthandBaby.com for really helping me out.

Happy Birthday Jackson!

2010-01-14T19:54:00.001-08:00

I can't believe a month has gone by. The little guy's birthday was actually yesterday. I still can't believe how cute he is. More posts to come soon. I am still getting a hang of this mom thing...

Seriously...

2009-12-19T15:50:00.000-08:00

Can they get any bigger?!

If you have had a baby, you know what I am talking about...

This is the most difficult thing for me to deal with.

Welcome to the World Little Jackson

2009-12-18T13:28:00.001-08:00

Announcing the Arrival of our beautiful baby Boy

Jackson Ryan Carter
8 pounds 8 ounces
22 inches long

More to come on the labor, hospital stay, breastfeeding, being a new mom and dad, and all the other fun stuff...after I get some sleep...it might be a while...

Can this ticker be right?

2009-12-12T20:56:00.001-08:00

I am referring to the baby ticker by the way that right now says 2 days. Pregnancy is so crazy like that b/c you feel like all you do is wait and now it is only 2 days away...well actually three...

We found out on Thursday that our little guy decided to flip. I can understand...I wouldn't want to hang upside down for months either! I was very disappointed the day I found out. I have to say I was really looking forward to all the aspects of going into labor: the anticipation, the unknown, the pain, and especially seeing how Ry would react and how close I thought it would make us. But it has been a couple of days and even though I am still hopeful that things can change, I have accepted the idea of a c-section. I mean, we are having a baby on Tuesday! That is crazy. Now I am more excited about him just showing up in this world than how he gets here.

Really though, we still have some hope that he will flip back. First of all we are trying Acupuncture...something I have never really thought about doing, but it shows our desperation. And then on Tuesday, my doctor will try an external version where they manually try to turn the baby on the outside. I am also thinking about going to the pool on Monday and doing some handstands...why not?! Swimming sounds nice anyway!

Whatever happens, the important thing of course is that we are both healthy. Pictures of Baby Boy Carter coming soon!

A Touching Family Home Evening

2009-11-23T20:18:00.001-08:00

This is me now! 37 weeks pregnant. I am feeling good besides the normal discomforts like not being able to breath, bend over, or get up by myself. All really bizarre feelings to me.

I guess we are excited about our soon to be "loud" little boy because this was the talk from conference we read for FHE tonight: I Love Loud Boys by Elder Yoon Hwan Choi
If you have not read it yet, you should! It is a great story and a very quick read. I am not sure why I was so touched by it. It has two very good lessons: Learn from church leaders and attend church meetings. The latter I have become very passionate about lately. Here is a quote from the talk:

President Ezra Taft Benson said in his speech entitled “To the ‘Youth of the Noble Birthright’ ”: “May I now direct your attention to the importance of attending all of your Church meetings. Faithful attendance at Church meetings brings blessings you can receive in no other way.”

I know that we are blessed through our attendance to as many church meetings as we can get to. It will be so much harder soon and I know I will be humbled to see how difficult church is with children, but I also know it is a commitment we will always keep b/c we need those blessings!

Remember Lot's Wife

2009-11-06T08:01:00.000-08:00

I recently started studying the Old Testament. I have never had the guts to do this, believing I would not understand half of what is going on. That part has been true, but I picked up a commentary on it and that has helped tremendously. It also helps that I spend a lot of time cross-referencing and reading the Joseph Smith Translation. But I am really enjoying it and learning a lot. I guess I am prepping for next years Gospel Doctrine lessons!

My thought for the day:

Luke 17:31-33

31 In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back.

32 Remember ^aLot’s wife.

33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall ^alose his life shall preserve it.

Before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, He gave Lot and his family (relatives of Abraham) the opportunity to escape to the mountains and be saved. Unfortunately, Lot's wife "looked back" and she perished in the destruction. (Genesis 19) In the New Testament, Christ uses this example to talk about the end of our wicked world.

This scripture is very inspiring to me. To me it says: We have to lose our lives in the service of our Lord in order to preserve our lives. I know personally that this is the only way we can truly be happy in this life. If we put our relationship with Christ at the top of our priority list, everything else in our lives will fall into place.

Happy Birthday to me!

2009-11-03T12:49:00.000-08:00

So, next week is my 24th birthday! I am really excited because I just bought my present...a ticket to see Imogen Heap in Salt Lake City. It will be a very different and interesting concert I am sure. It is bitter sweet however, because I will be going with our friends Matt and Ivy, who are so awesome to let me tag along, but Ryan will be staying home. I am feeling guilty about this but I will only be gone for one night. We are leaving on Thursday morning and returning Friday evening so pretty much just while Ryan is at work. I am grateful though that he is willing to let me go have fun without him. As much as I love having time at home to get things done, I am also in desperate need for something fun to look forward too. This is it! I am sure it will help me feel very rejuvenated and ready to wait only 4 more weeks for our little boy to arrive. I guess the only thing that can stop me now is labor...

My Baby Shower

2009-10-26T20:58:00.000-07:00

Thanks to three very wonderful friends of mine, as well as all those that attended, I had a great baby shower last Thursday. I had so much fun and truly felt loved by my closest friends. The only thing missing were my family members scattered throughout the country. I missed you all! Here are some pics:

This one is my favorite! It is all of the women at my shower that are expecting in order of their due dates! So 7 out of 15 of people at my shower are preggars! Crazy but so much fun.
This is one of my professors from college. I love her tons and was so happy that she came. Among the games were bottle chugging apple juice, Celebrity baby name match, and my favorite was Jackie's List. A totally made up game for me! Six items on my registry were found on Craigslist. We then had to figure out what the retail price was, the Craigslist price, and what I would offer for it...since we rarely pay exactly what people are asking.

Another game was that people had to bend over with their head between their legs and draw a picture of what my baby was going to look like with their left hand. Then, the comments were recorded and that is what I am going to say when I am in labor! Here is a list of a few:

"Mine's horrible"
"Mine looks like a man...a man with a crew cut"
"I'm out of breath...whew!"
"Its really hard to resist the urge..."
"Its left foot is bigger"
"This kind of feels good...a good stretch"
"Mine doesn't look human"
"This is hard"

We will see how many of these are accurate in 49 days-ish!

Among the wonderful gifts I received were some really cute outfits, a crocheted blanket, a fleece blanket, a boppy pillow, and many many diapers! Thank you everyone that came!

A New Indulgence

2009-10-15T10:43:00.000-07:00

For those of you who know me well, you know I have many indulgences...mostly sweets and chocolate! But being sick this week has introduced me to a new one...

Don't worry! I am not getting my birthing education from this show, but it is very fun to watch! And they play so many episodes. I think I am just enjoying looking forward to my own baby story. It is coming so fast. I am driving Ry crazy by wanting to get everything ready! Isn't that normal...I mean we are basically having the baby tomorrow right so the fact that I don't have diapers, a changing pad, a boppy pillow cannot be good! Thank you TLC for tugging at my heartstrings!

A New Life

2009-10-01T09:01:00.000-07:00

My schedule has changed dramatically in the last couple of months and I am starting to really enjoy it! This might bore you but here is a look at my week:

Monday- Cleaning Day

Spend 1 hour each on downstairs and upstairs. This includes the bathrooms, dusting, vacuuming,mopping and changing sheets. This is my weekly home blessing hour for those of you who are FlyLady fans.
Grocery store every two weeks or when needed.
Getting together with friends to watch Project Runway while Ryan plays basketball at night!

Tuesday- Temple Day

Go to temple
Rest of day is open to whatever needed

Wednesday

Hang out day with moms and other sisters from the Ward. This has been a key component to my happiness. Even though I don't have a kid yet, I love getting together with other sisters who have time to hang out. We usually meet at the park or something. So far it has been a great time for moms-to-be to ask questions to the experts. I look forward to this every week and am so happy to have such great friends.
The afternoon is usually reserved for Relief Society meetings and visits.

Thursday and Friday

Do whatever I was supposed to do before and didn't and usually meetings or hanging out...whatever I plan. If I am lucky, I get to have lunch with my hubby one of these days! Those are my favorites.

Everyday

The thing that makes life so much better is the time I take in the morning for a
'morning devotional.' It includes scripture study always, and then different things each day: sometimes I watch a broadcast, write in my journal, read the Ensign, or whatever. And always a prayer. This makes everything in my day better.
A trip to the gym is the goal. It hasn't been working out lately. But I have also been working evenings and that is almost over! The gym will be even more accessible.

I really have been SO busy! But it has been really fun. At first it was hard; I was cleaning way more than necessary. For those of you who may be envious of the time I have now, I am enjoying it while it lasts. I only have two more months!

Bigger and Bigger we get

2009-10-01T08:57:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I posted anything. Just wanted to show my belly. We are now at 29 weeks. Time is moving so fast.
Sorry about the ugly grill in the background!

Things As They Really Are

2009-09-02T09:15:00.000-07:00

I was truly inspired by this CES broadcast given by Elder Bednar in May. It teaches the connections between our physical and spiritual bodies while encouraging in to live in a real world and not a virtual one. It is longer than a normal talk but you can also watch it or listen to it. Here is the link.

I have to teach a lesson about it on Sunday. Let me know any thoughts you might have. I guarantee it will be worth your while to read it. Here is one of several of my favorite quotes:

"I testify that God lives and is our Heavenly Father. He is the Author of the plan of salvation. Jesus is the Christ, the Redeemer, whose body was bruised, broken, and torn for us as He offered the atoning sacrifice. He is resurrected; He lives; and He stands at the head of His Church in these latter days. To be “encircled about eternally in the arms of his love” (2 Nephi 1:15) will be a real and not a virtual experience."

If you haven't heard...

2009-08-11T12:45:00.001-07:00

Its a...

BOY!

Thank you to Ryan's sister who gave us these adorable little shoes.

I wonder if his feet will ever be as big as daddy's!

Back in Business

2009-07-30T15:29:00.000-07:00

When I don't blog, it is usually because we actually don't have the internet! But that has officially changed now. (Yes we are finally paying for our own...my dad will be so proud!) But, schedule allowing, I think I will start being much more consistent.

The second costume build of the season is almost totally over. We have been constructing costumes for Twelfth Night by Shakespeare. It has been a pretty fun build with many beautiful costumes. Opening night is Saturday. Luckily my friend Ivy will be my date...Ryan and I made an agreement my first summer...no more Shakespeare. I understand though. It really isn't for everyone. But because work is slowing down we got to leave early today! So excited! What am I going to do with this time!

I have been most looking forward to posting some pics. They are NOT the most flattering, but I have to show off my pregnancy progress so the following are for your viewing pleasure! By the way...we find out on Tuesday! I am so excited to get to know our baby a little more.

Me at 12 weeks on our baby moon to Mexico! (By the way, cellulite gets worse during pregnancy!

This is me last week at 19 weeks!

Happy 4th of July

2009-07-05T21:15:00.000-07:00

We had a great Independence Day. It began with breakfast at the Bishop's, a long morning nap, some cleaning and ended with a huge fireworks show. I love fireworks...they just make me happy. Here are some pics.
Like last year, (yes, I am trying to establish some kind of tradition) we rode our bikes to KFC picked up some food and rode them to Ann Morrison park where a few hundred other people were there to enjoy the big show. Some of my friends from work met us there.

These are a couple of girls I work with at Idaho Shakespeare Festival. Megan (on the left) provided with fun headbands. Ryan was good about hanging out with the girls. These two girls are from Cleveland, Ohio and I am sure were missing the families.

We hope you had a happy 4th of July in celebration of this wonderful country we live.

A long awaited update!

2009-07-05T21:04:00.000-07:00

I have committed to blogging again. Mostly because I miss being in touch with everyone. But I fear my blog will be fairly boring for a time. I am going to start using this blog however. I hope I can figure out how to add all the fun stuff to it.

Pins and Needles

2007-10-22T11:29:00.001-07:00

My Blogging Conversion

2007-10-22T11:26:00.001-07:00

When my husband started his blog last summer, I honestly never even knew that people did this. I had never read or seen one before. Don’t get me wrong, I know how to use computers, I guess I am just a little behind in the internet world. But I never thought I would want to do that. Then, my brother, who I adore, left his family to go serve in Qatar for the Air Force. Don’t be worried, it is a relatively safe place to be, especially over there, but you just really never know. So my sister-in-law started a blog, so we could all keep up with him since talking on the phone isn’t really an option. So once that started, I was hooked! First of all, I think I have spent about maybe a total of two weeks with KM, maybe more, but it doesn’t seem like it. Life is always so crazy when the whole fam is together. But with her blog, I really have felt like I am getting to know her. Not to mention that writing brings out a hidden personality in each of us. I have enjoyed tracking her daily experiences and of course, love seeing and hearing about their cute little kids. But KM, my sister-in-law, has really helped me feel inspired. She recently went on a 3-day walk for breast cancer and I cried every time I read her experiences. I am hoping to arrange my own team for the San Francisco walk in September 2008 and inspire others through my blog as well. So, I am truly converted to blogging and thought I would try it out myself. Now I am studying my other sisters-in-law blogs as well to get to know them better. And maybe you can get a little insight into who I am as well.

The other reason I have been putting it off is because I feel like my life is rather calm or boring maybe. I mean, we don’t have kids and everything is pretty normal so what do I have to say?! But having a blog makes me feel like I do have something to say about everything and anything.