To be a kid again

I love playing. It's great that now I have a child so I can play and look legitimate, like I'm just playing because he needs a playmate. Truth be told, I can't wait until he's old enough to ask to go to the park everyday and go on picnics and play in the sprinkler. I almost feel like I'm making him do those things now, just cuz I want to! But come on, who ever gets tired of playgrounds? I was just telling Kerrie, they should really make adult-size playgrounds-- you know they'd get plenty of use.

Mommy kind of forced Daddy to ride the dinosaur with Carter so I could get this picture. I think he's a little more self-conscious.
Carter is very curious about the water and the ducks, shoulder ride became mandatory to ensure dry baby.
So fun, Kerrie's little boy Caiden is 2 months and a day younger than Carter. I think he's a little taller than our boy, though!

Ice cream cones

Mmm, I think I like this thing mommy! How come I've never had it before?!
Like mother, like son...oh now we've done it, he'll never want anything good for him again!
Yummy yummy! It's great, he likes the cone so much it'll entertain him for 20 minutes in the stroller while we go jogging!
Out to eat at Montgomery Inn with the fam.
Hey no fair dada, you stole my binky!

Lemonade

Thought it was lemons, but it turned out to be lemonade...

Rules:Copy and paste these rules to your blog post.* Link back to person who tagged you.* Write about an incident in your life you first thought was really bad, but ended up being a blessing.* Tag people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.* Let each person you tagged know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

When Jason and I got married, I was going to school at BYU in Provo, UT and he was in Idaho. We decided to live in Cincinnati, although it would be a pain to transfer credits and we ended up doing more time in school than we could've gotten away with had we stayed out west. But it just felt right to live at home in Cinci. So after we realized how frustrating the whole school -credits-getting into new programs process was, we really wondered, why didn't we stay at BYU?! We didn't have to wonder too long, though. We found out Jason's dad (Mike) had lung cancer about a year and a half later. It would have been really awful to be living in Utah while he was here in Ohio and not knowing how much time he had left and not being able to be with him. So we got to spend a lot of time with him that we otherwise would have missed because we stayed in Ohio. That time and those memories are obviously irreplaceable and trump any inconvenience in transferring and making up credit hours. We're thankful that Heavenly Father led us to make the right decision in moving back home. Mike hung in there until Carter was born and died on Easter Sunday last year. We really miss him and are sad that Carter will not get to play with his Grandpa and learn his handyman ways. But we know we will see him again and are grateful for the comfort that gives.

Alicia tagged me www.homestate.blogspot.com and I tag

Katie www.penderclan.blogspot.com

Kerrie www.quillinfam.blogspot.com

Mom www.timguffeyfamily.blogspot.com

and anyone else who wants to share!

bedtime ritual

playtime

Carter checking out his new toy Daddy so cutely set up with his stuffed animal friends. Carter LOVES his animals, he carrys them around and lays on them and hugs them, so sweet!
He thinks it's pretty great!
He is a pro at the slide already!

Carter looks like he's scheming on some devious plan for mommy...
No, not my sweet little boy!

Heeeey hillbilly! Carter's first ridin' mower experience. He was scared of the noise until he got to ride on dada's lap. Yes, the hood is missing...but it gets the job done a whole lot faster! yep, I think we're done dada.

Just love the weather here in Ohio...not!

Our big snowstorm of the year--check out the 5 foot drifts on the deck!
Very pretty, just really glad I didn't have to be at work! Although, I had to work the night it started and Dad waited up for me to get off work at 11:45pm and picked me up in GM's 4wheel drive Tahoe--my hero!
Thought it would be fun to take Carter to an Easter egg hunt...bad idea. It was packed and most kids walked away with an empty basket (Carter didn't stand a chance!), it was FREEZING and windy and muddy...I hate it when the weather doesn't cooperate.
Da-da kept Carter warm.
Grandma came over on Easter Sunday.

Blessings

I watched the most touching video online today about a baby who had a birth defect and lived only 99 days. His parents kept a video diary of each day he lived, not knowing how many precious days he would survive. It ends with the dad saying goodbye for now and that he knew they would only be separated for the rest of his earthly life. Especially at this Easter time, it is such a sweet and powerful reminder of the blessing of Christ's atonement and resurrection--that we will see our loved ones who have passed on again, that we will all live again, thanks to the wonderful gift our Savior has given us. I urge anyone who hasn't seen this video to watch it, it is so wonderful. I got so choked up, but I felt so good inside knowing that God loves each of us, His children, so much. Here is the link:
http://www.ignitermedia.com/products/iv/singles/570/99-Balloons
I am so grateful for my sweet little baby and the miracle that he is. Heavenly Father is so incredible to share these sweet spirits with us for a time!

Laughing Carter

Don't know what it is about a laughing baby that always makes me grin, but if you're feeling blue watch this. I bet you'll be smiling soon!

Carter's birthday party

Aww, our little boy is no baby anymore!
This is post-cake, notice the sweater is gone...soaking in the sink to get the chocolate out, but it was worth it!
He's just realizing mommy slipped a hat on him and he wants it off!
The man of the hour, stomping through his territory!
Playing with Ixchel. The yellow blur is the huge rubber duckie Grandmother and Grandfather gave him, he loves to pick it up and throw it down and burst out laughing! He's starting to quack, too!

Carter's birthday party

SNAP! Watch out Ammon!
party animals!
Andy and his little sidekick. For the record, she wanted to wear pink.
It was pretty hard to get Carter to look at the camera with all the noisemakers going off.
A little cake got his attention though. He couldn't figure out how to get it all in his mouth at the same time!

Family time

we're so glad when daddy comes home! glad as we can be..!
Carter would not let anyone else hold him but Ammon, he really loves his uncle!

On Carter's first birthday

This is so cool, I can bang on it, it reflects me and I can climb on it, too!
What is this big yellow thing?
I kind of like sitting here.
When there weren't 20 other kids crawling up it, Carter gave the slide a try.
Ready to swim!

On Carter's birthday, Jason was supposed to be out of town, but the snowstorm the night before cancelled his flight and we were all together on his big day. We took him to the mall where they had an indoor playplace and to swim at a gym we have a free trial membership at, we think he had a pretty good time!

more hodgepodge

some of Carter's first unsteady steps
He's such a helper, he likes to do laundry!
What a happy explorer he is! And what a drooler!

hodgepodge

Goofing around with his little turtle walker, this thing really helped him pick up walking speed! He's wearing a vest Livi made for him, isn't it nice?!

Carter did remarkably well at the bowling alley, as long as we kept him well fed...

Oh Carter loves all his pretty aunts!