Carpenter Chronicles

Happy kids

2011-11-22T13:56:00.002-07:00

Halloween

2011-10-31T10:11:00.010-07:00

Doesn't that look good? I usually use my bread maker, but since it was for our Halloween feast, I decided to go homemade. It was pretty tasty if I do say so myself!

Our main course, Ghoul-osh. Cooked in a witch's cauldron, of course!

I couldn't find a Halloween tablecloth that I liked, so I went with black and got these cute plates at Target. Where I also found this cute spider web cupcake holder.

Yum!

Brotherly love!

I think this picture pretty much says it all!

Talking to Grampy Grenon who called to wish us a Happy Halloween!

Ward Halloween Party.

Mesquite's Fall Festival...

...costume contest...

Best. Costume. EVER. This kid was a Lego Star Wars character. Genius!!

Parker "being scary."

It was a great Halloween this year with so many fun activities!

Seven

2011-10-21T10:08:00.002-07:00

Best decision I ever made!

Stay-cation

2011-10-07T09:35:00.001-07:00

Our plan for the second weekend in October was to be in Utah. BUT, then Emma got hit in the head, Olivia started running a fever, and we decided to call it a sign and stay home! As you can see from the above picture of Olivia's forehead, that fever turned out to be chicken pox. Something we didn't know when we decided to go to the Children's Museum. I hope no one got sick!!! We didn't know until a few days later that she was suffering from break through chicken pox, having recently gotten her vaccinations. Oops :( Anyway, since we weren't going out of town, we thought we'd still try and do something fun for/with the kids.

Lunch...Aidan was less than enthusiastic about his lunchables.

Fire-person Emma, to the rescue!

I LOVE this picture. When Aidan and Emma are actually getting along, they are seriously the best of friends!

Parker loved the trains!

Shopping with Aidan...

...pushing the cart all by herself. What a big girl!

Emma, always the cashier.

Parker, being his silly-willy self.

We timed our visit just right for the kids to get to touch the sea life. They loved it, even though Parker screamed EVERY time someone touched something. They asked him to leave after about the 5th time. :)

Electricity, baby!

Music Man!!

Art time...

...the last thing we did before heading home...

...that, and me yelling at the kids. Hey, what can I say, it's what I do best. :)

All and all it was a fun day!

Stitches

2011-10-04T08:36:00.002-07:00

In the beginning of October, we took the second of four children to the hospital for stitches. Apparently, Aidan and Emma were taking turns throwing a piece of brick/rock from the garden wall at each other. Aidan's aim was clearly better than hers. So much for thinking they can play outside unsupervised while I make dinner...

We had already been to the ER once before when Parker needed stitches at 16 months. What a difference 4 years makes! No one passed out this time, or had to leave the room because they were crying hysterically. Emma didn't need to be held down, in fact she was super brave. I just held her hand and talked to her while the nurse put the stitches in.

Daddy being a goof ball!

Entertaining ourselves with a little Finding Nemo. Can I just say that I LOVE that the children's emergency room at TMC has TV for the kids. It makes the wait go by SO much faster!

Emma was seriously such a trooper!!! She was scared of course, but so brave and only needed me to hold her hand--no crying or freaking out. I was so proud of her.

All sewn up!! And SO ready to leave. By this point she was really getting annoyed at Matthew's picture taking :) On the way home she got a happy meal for being so good at the ER. She even shared her fries with the rest of the kids when she got home. She's a special little girl, that's for sure!!!

Livvie-Bear

2011-10-03T17:19:00.002-07:00

I know I am probably biased, but I think this little nugget is the cutest 16 month old on the planet! And, I am loving how Matthew's new camera takes pictures!

Family Pictures

2011-09-26T10:07:00.003-07:00

Which one do you like best?

Me--I prefer the darker one because I think it best captures the kids personalities, even though it's not a "perfect" picture. But, the white background is the best one of the kids as far as smiles and looking at the camera, ect. So, we got both and both are hanging on the wall! I must say it was an adventure braving the studio with four kids, but we did it, and even more importantly I kept my cool the whole time! Quite an accomplishment for me :)

Sorry about the quality, apparently there is dust on my scanner :(

Hard at work

2011-09-01T13:46:00.003-07:00

Thirty Four Years Ago Today

2011-08-05T15:47:00.003-07:00

Thirty Four years ago today, August 5th 1977, I got the greatest gift in the world. My parents. This is the anniversary of my adoption, and it was always celebrated and honored as a special day, just like my birthday. My parents had tried for 7 long years to have their own children, but were unable to. After two years on the adoption waiting list, they lost out on a child and were told it would be another year or so before another one would become available. My parents were devastated. This was in June of 1977. On August 3rd my mother received a phone call from the Elizabeth Lund Home Adoption Agency telling her that in two days she was to come to the agency and pick up her daughter. She was completely taken by surprise. She immediately called my dad at work to tell him. They cried together on the phone. My mother then called the doctor's office she worked for and quit on spot! She spent the next two days frantically cleaning and shopping. And then at 9:00 am, the morning of August 5th, she and my father met with their case worker and we were introduced for the first time. They fought over who would hold me first. My mother won :) She had waited for almost a decade to be a mother, and now she was.

I am so beyond grateful for the parents I was blessed with. I had two loving parents, a home, and a happy childhood. I couldn't have asked for a better mom and dad, and if I had to go back and chose my parents, they would be my choice over and over and over again. They loved me, supported me, cared for me, encouraged me, and were my biggest fans no matter what!

I have a mother that loved me so much she moved all the way across the country to be near to me and her grandchildren. And even though my father still lives in Vermont, and I don't get to see him that often, I talk to him every week, and hearing his voice is like going home again. I love my parents more than I can say. And so, today I give thanks and celebrate the day we became a family!

Fifteen years ago...

2011-08-04T15:19:00.018-07:00

On August 4th 1996, I was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It's hard to believe that fifteen years has passed since that day. And it is to the decision that I made that day, I owe all the other good decisions that followed. The boy in the picture, Kyle, was one of my best friends at the time, and he not only introduced me to the church, but baptized me as well. I owe a lot to him, his family, and so many others from my branch in Rutland.

July 1998. Here I am at the Washington D.C. Temple with Kyle's family and a few ward friends. I received my endowments this day in preparation for my mission.

Good old MTC in Provo Utah. I entered on August 4th 1998 (interestingly enough on the same day I was baptized) and was there until October, learning Spanish and preparing to serve in the California Ventura Mission. I briefly met my husband (although I didn't know he would become my husband at the time) here in October before my district left. Ryan Swiss, an Elder from my district was a friend of Matthew Carpenter's, who was also in the MTC at the same time. We met and spoke on a few occasions.

Sister Shepard, me, Sister Jenkins.

My companionship after a devotional that was given by President Thomas S. Monson. Then an Apostle of the church, now it's prophet. I was in the choir that day an we sang We Thank Thee O God For A Prophet. I still get chills thinking about it!

One my favorite companions Kori Lyman (now Hatch.) She, to this day, remains one of my dearest friends and was a bridesmaid at my wedding.

Weekly planning...

...off in the morning on our bikes! I loved being a bike sister!

Companionship study. This is another one of my favorite companions, Aracely De Llana.

Heather Hull and I. We were never comps, but lived in the same apartment for 7 months. She spent the last half of her mission in Oxnard, and so did I.

Best district/Zone I ever had! This is Paxton, Ross, Bernhisel (with the guitar) Hulet, De La Llana, me, and Hull after a baptism in the church parking lot. Missing from zone 6--Davis, Peay, and Toone. Some of the best Elders there were!

The infamous Glennwood apartments. This was my favorite group of roommates from my college years. We are making "special" cupcakes for Matthew's apartment :)

And here he is, as I remember him, with a full head of hair, a goofy expression, and always insisting on driving, even my car!

Ahhh....

Every decision I made, from serving a mission, to making and keeping covenants in the Temple, to moving to Utah, and to marrying Matthew in the Temple, all started with that first decision fifteen years ago to take a leap of faith, follow my heart and be baptized. I am so incredibly grateful everyday for the life I lead now and the blessings that have been mine because of the choice I made at the age of nineteen. The gospel has brought such joy, peace, and comfort into my life and I couldn't imagine my life without the church in it. Whatever else I acquire in this life, it will never be more precious or valuable to me than my testimony.

First Day of School

2011-07-24T09:23:00.003-07:00

My happy Kindergärtner!

Mom walking Aidan to his classroom.

I had Matthew take the day off because I thought I'd be confined to my bed from grief that my first born was starting school, but surprisingly enough, to both of us, I didn't cry at all. I didn't cry the second or third days either. But on the fourth day of school Aidan asked me if he could walk to his class alone. I was pretty shocked, but said yes. As I watched him from the fence it dawned on me just how grown up he is getting. I started to cry. Big fat tears, and didn't stop until long after we got home. I am so proud of how independent Aidan is becoming, even if it is hard for me to accept that he doesn't need me as much any more. He had a great first week, and really, really likes his class and his teacher. I am so grateful that he was accepted into the Vail School District and that we chose to send him to Mesquite Elementary. Even though it's only half day kindergarten (sigh) it's the best place for Aidan to start his education. I am looking forward to seeing how he changes and grows this year!

Weekend away

2011-07-22T08:40:00.002-07:00

It was that time of year again, the time of year for Matthew and I to farm out our kids and take a weekend for ourselves!! We shipped Aidan and Emma off to my in-laws and my mom watched Parker and Olivia at our house. We left Friday the 15th, and after dropping Aidan and Emma off at Grammy Ann and Grandpa's, we stopped for lunch at Jason's Deli before heading out of town. We first went to Mesa to go to the LDS temple. It was a wonderful experience and a very special one as we took family names with us. We then went to visit Matthew's grandmother GranMarie, before heading to my favorite of all favorite restaurants, Cafe Rio! We stayed in Scottsdale at the Doubletree Resort, the very same place we stayed the night we were married. We have been back a few times, and like staying there for it's nostalgic value. It is expensive, however, so instead of staying there in October when our actual anniversary is, we go in the summer months when it is 50% cheaper. Saturday morning we woke up early (the result of having kids, we can't sleep in anymore) and went swimming, had breakfast on our balcony, and then headed out to see Harry Potter and the Dealthy Hallows: Part 2. It was really good and like a chump, I cried at the end. That afternoon was filled with naps, more movie and TV watching, and burger, fries, and pizza for dinner. We stayed another night and reluctantly checked out Sunday morning. It was SO wonderful to get away for a few days and reconnect with my husband. We have been doing this every year since we got married, and the more children we've had, the more we've needed the time away every year. I like the tradition, and Matthew has warmed up to the idea, too. He thought it was a waste of money in the beginning, but with the added stress of work, his business, church callings and our four energetic children, he looks forward to it now as much as I do. And, staying in hotels on the off season is a lot cheaper.

We snapped this picture right before we checked out--Matthew is getting the hang of the timer on his camera. I am already counting down the days until next year :)

June Birthday Girls

2011-06-28T09:36:00.027-07:00

Since both of my girls are born in June, I decided to do a combined birthday party on Emma's actual birthday. We had family over for pigs in a blanket, fruit, cake, ice cream, an art project, a pinata, presents, and lots of fun outside in the heat. All of Emma and Olivia's cousins were able to be there and we were really grateful to all that came and celebrated with us! They made out like bandits in the present department, and a HUGE thank you goes to those that were so generous with the girls. They got Toy story dolls, pajamas, art supplies, a baby doll, a ball, a pillow pet, barrel of monkeys, littlest pet shop pet, and Go Fish. They loved all of their gifts and so did we!

It's hard to believe that Emma is four and Olivia is one. They are both such a gift to our family and I can't imagine life without either of them! We are a really blessed family and I am so grateful everyday for the husband, children, and life that I have. I couldn't ask for more!!

Still waiting...

2011-06-16T10:38:00.001-07:00

I am waiting for Matthew to put the pictures of Olivia's first birthday on the computer!! His fancy new camera is too high tech for me to do it, so I will just keep bugging him until he does it! A new post is coming, I promise!

Who would you invite?

2011-05-26T09:43:00.003-07:00

Recently Emma held an exclusive tea party in the boys room/play room. Only the coolest of cool were invited! As you can see, Mom and siblings were not deemed cool enough :)

In all seriousness, though, I love this girls imagination and ability to entertain herself so easily and so happily. She loves to come up with original scenarios as well as act out scenes from her favorite movies (Toy Story 3 and Tangled currently top the list.) She will be 4 in one month, but she speaks and acts much older than her age. She is a real joy!

Graduation Day

2011-05-20T07:34:00.016-07:00

Can you believe I have a child old enough to be going to kindergarten? I can't! Seriously, this last 5 1/2 years since Aidan was born has FLOWN by. That is probably (due in part) to the fact that I have been pregnant most of that time, but it's crazy to think that almost six years has past since he came into our family. And Emma--almost four!! They are growing up so fast...

Aidan and Emma had a GREAT year at pre-school this year. I was blessed to have them both at the same pre-school, at the same time, just with different teachers. Emma had Sister Willard in the 3/4 year old class, and Aidan had Sister DeGomez for his pre-kindergarten class. Both teachers were so wonderful to my kids. Emma learned a lot of social skills as well as how to write her name, all of her letters, and about 30 sight words. She loved doing her homework every week and I have seen a great desire to learn in her. She is always asking for paper and a pencil to practice writing and loves to do her flash cards with Daddy every night. Aidan has matured by leaps and bounds this year. He too, learned how to write his name, letters, numbers, and sight words. He is having a harder time with the sight words than Emma, but then again he is not a visual learner. I think is going to be very well prepared for Kindergarten. Speaking of which we were able to get Aidan into the Vail School district!!! He will be going to Mesquite Elementary, and starts July 18th!!! It is only half day, but weighing that with the level of education he'd be receiving at Mesquite, it was really a no brainer. I also think that Aidan is a bit "young" for his age still, and half day will suit him well for the upcoming year.

I tear up when I think of how proud I am of my two older children. They are becoming little people with thoughts, opinions, ideas, and imaginations. I love listening to them at play and in discussions with each other about the things they observe around them. It does my heart good when they are kind and respectful of each other (something we are still working hard on!) I love them very much and am grateful to be their mom. I know there will come a time in the not so distant future when the last thing in the world they want is to hang out with me, but I am so grateful to be at home with them during these years. I have to give the credit for that to Matthew for how hard he works at both Raytheon and with his own business, so that we have enough to meet our needs and some of our wants.

Congratulations to my little graduates!

Sister time

2011-05-04T09:40:00.003-07:00

Lately, Olivia has really been enjoying spending time with her big sister! A few minutes before this picture was taken, Aidan and Emma were watching Up. When Aidan got up to go to the bathroom, Olivia high tailed it over to his chair, climbed in and hung out with her big sis.

Aidan is off to the side trying to get her to get out of his chair by sweet talking her--coaxing her to go to him. By the smile on her face, she wasn't fooled!

Watching intently...

...very intently. Check out Emma's face. It must have been a "high action" part of the movie. Anyway, Olivia spent the rest of the movie sitting next to Emma. They were holding hands at one point, but I didn't get to the camera in time. I hope these two grow up to be the best of friends. I never had a sister, but always wanted one--I hope for my girls to be as close as two sisters can be!!

Make believe--with flair

2011-04-28T10:37:00.003-07:00

Aidan and Emma like to act out scenes from their favorite movies. And ever since they got dress up clothes for Christmas, they've taken it to a whole new level. Can you guess which movie/character Aidan was pretending to be?

Yup, he was Shrek. Emma was playing princess Fiona and was all decked out in a princess costume and Aidan wanted to have something distinguishable, too, so he went into the toy box and got the nurf bullets from his gun. He licked them and stuck them to his forehead. I found him checking himself out in the mirror as I passed by the bathroom and couldn't help but snap a picture. I love that my children have such great imaginations and love to play pretend.

The impossible shot

2011-04-26T15:32:00.003-07:00

With four children, I have learned that getting a decent shot of one, let alone all four together, is virtually impossible. As you will see from the pictures below, this attempt was no different!

This one of Aidan and Emma was actually pretty cute. I love Emma's face and smile in this one. The crotch shot however, not my favorite!

When we really ran into trouble, was when we tried to add Olivia to the mix. It only got worse as you will see...

getting mad...

and, yup, there we go, full on baby cry! Oh, well. One day we'll get some decent shots of everyone, until then we'll have fond memories of trying!

You need to read more

2011-04-14T12:17:00.005-07:00

That is what my loving husband told me recently. He swears it "didn't come out right," but really, I think he truly does wish I would read more. I wish I would read more, too. But, honestly, by the time 9 pm roles around and we finally have all four kids asleep in bed, all I want to do is crawl into bed myself. However, I have taken on my husband's challenge to read more and am starting with the above two books. We had a coupon for 70% off at Barnes and Noble dot com, but when we finally decided on a book to buy (thanks Amanda and Melanie for the suggestions) our coupon wouldn't work. Figures. SO, last night for our date night we went to the library and checked out a few books instead. I went with an old favorite to get me back into the swing of things, The Witches by Roald Dahl. I love all things Roald Dahl but The Witches was always on the top of my list! Then I thought I would delve back into Dan Brown. I haven't read his newest (well, old by now) book The Lost Symbol. The books I wanted, two suggested by my sisters-in-law, were of course either checked out or not at our library. I have them on reserve though and am really anxious to read both Dealing with Dragons and North and South. We also checked out some Madeline books--our kids latest obsession, and Harry Potter and the Soceror's Stone on CD for Aidan. He LOVES listening to books on tape at night as he is falling asleep. Anyway, if any of you out there have any other suggestions for me I would love to hear them, because, well, apparently I need to read more :)

Dance, Dance Party Baby!

2011-03-29T15:50:00.002-07:00

My little guy

2011-03-06T10:24:00.002-07:00

I love this kid! Of all of my children, he is the most attached to me--and because of that, I feel a special bond with him. From the moment he was born, he was mine. Maybe it was the weeks of bed rest before he was born getting to "know" him, or the slightly traumatic, very spiritual natural child birth, or the months and months of physical therapy and worry over his torticollis and plagiocephaly. I am not sure why, but he's always wanted me, rather than daddy. Something I am not used to since all the rest of my children, Olivia included, prefer Matthew. But not Parker. He wants me for everything--and as daunting as that is at times, it is really nice to be the preferred parent. Don't get me wrong, my kids like me, and I certainly love them, but there is just something about Matthew that has them all smitten--I mean I get it, I am smitten, too. But there is also something to be said for Mama's boys--and that is certainly what my Parker is!

Happy girl

2011-02-26T13:21:00.001-07:00

The hang out spot

2011-02-16T17:37:00.004-07:00

FHE

2011-02-10T12:16:00.004-07:00

My brother and sister-in-law (Amanda and Keith) introduced Matthew and I to Home Depot's once a month children's activity. It's on the first Saturday of every month, and the kids get to do a FREE project right there at the store! They get a work apron, a pin, and certificate for each project they do. We have been going as often as Matthew's schedule has allowed (most of his Saturdays have been eaten up with Quorum responsibilities, but now that the President is home, he's off the hook! For the most part :) Anyway, a few Saturdays ago he took Aidan and Emma and they made heart shaped shelves.

For FHE this week, they got to paint their shelves!

Gee, I wonder where Aidan gets his face making ability from?

This is how Parker spent his FHE activity time, locked outside! Cruel, I know, but necessary. This kid has ZERO self control when paint is involved, and we had nothing for him to paint :( Luckily, he's like his dad and enjoys being by himself. Especially outside. He had a blast doing whatever he wanted and not being attacked or pushed out of the way by his older brother and sister. And, don't worry, our backyard is fenced in with a cement wall and our gate has a lock on it. We didn't just shove him outside without being safe!

The finished products in all their glory! Matthew did some touch ups, but they did most of the painting themselves.

Ta-da! Emma put stickers on the back of hers, and Matthew hung them up in their rooms the next day after they were dry!

Making it work

2011-02-04T10:38:00.003-07:00

What do you do when you have a 1512 sq. foot house with six people living in it? You utilize every inch of space you can! Recently, I was feeling overrun with all things "kid" and decided to try and contain the chaos to one room. Since we only have three bedrooms and our extra room is a living room/piano room/office, I picked the boys room to double as a play room. It made the most sense, since we already have bunk beds in there.

I had Matthew take the closet doors off so that we could put one of the dressers in there, along with all the toys/puzzles/ect. that are in Tupperware. I am thinking of getting another curtain rod and some long gingham curtains to match the ones they already have, so I can hide what's inside when I want to. But for now, it works!

Since the dresser in the girls room is also a changing table, I got rid of the pad that was on the boys dresser and am using it for storage. The hamper that was in the closet is now on the side of the dresser on top of the dress up clothes.

I was very pleasantly surprised that the table, chairs, kitchen, baby station, and toy box all fit so well.

The boys beds, complete with basketball hoop! Aidan is actually pretty good and makes almost all of his shots :) And, if we happen to have another child in the next few years, and it's a boy, we'll just move everything to the girls room--in the spirit of making it work!

We had a tough decision to make recently in regards to making it work. 1512 sq. feet is not a lot of space for a family of six that may or may not be expanding in the future. When we bought this house, it was at the height of the market high and we over paid by about $50,000 + dollars. As so many other people, we are now stuck in our home for longer than we would like. We had hoped to be in a larger home after two to three years. This July will make six years we've lived on Whistler Drive. In December we were looking at our fiances and deciding what to do. Do we take the money we've been saving for the last five years and a. use it as a down payment for a new house, renting our current home out, or b. do we finally get out of debt (pay off the van, student loans, and credit cards?) It was a tough decision, because both decisions were good ones. Both decisions would better our family circumstances. We met with a broker, were approved for another mortgage, found a rental company, and even looked at some homes. But we weren't ready to do anything quite yet, so Matthew and I decided to take some time and really think it over, pray, and fast. And we did so, separately. We didn't really discuss it, at all, for almost a month. And then after this past fast Sunday, Matthew and I came together and almost at the same time blurted out what we felt. We were to stay, pay off our debt, and make it work. It's not the decision that the "keeping up with the Jones" side of me wanted. I want a bigger house with nicer counter tops and high quality carpet. I wanted 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms and a three car garage. And although someday those things might become a necessity, right now, they are not. We have what we need. Our children are small, and we fit snugly in our 1512 sq. foot home. And by choosing to pay off our debts now, we will be in a better position in three or four years when moving becomes necessary. I am really happy with our choice to stay--something that actually surprises me. I am learning how to be happy with what I have, how to make good financial decisions--not something I've always been very good at. I am learning how to set goals better and work towards them. And, most importantly, I am learning how to be less materialistic and more grateful. We won't be in the house forever, but while we are here we will make it work!

My little pianists

2011-02-01T18:51:00.003-07:00

I think music in the home is so important! I didn't have a piano growing up, nor did I ever learn how to play an instrument. Something I wish I had learned how to do. For the last few years I have had my eye out for a used piano. When we first moved here we went to an estate sale, where I found a gorgeous, black, upright piano for only a few hundred dollars. I didn't think much of it at the time, naively assuming that I'd find another one when I wanted to. Well, I didn't. It took four years, but luckily, I found the above piano for a great deal at an estate sale in December. Matthew plays, quite well actually, and it has been beyond wonderful to have him sit with the kids at the piano and play hymns and children's songs. The kids love to play around on the keys and make "music." I am so happy to finally have a piano in our home and to be able to give our kids the opportunity to cultivate a talent that I didn't. Hopefully they will still think the piano is cool when they are sixteen. Matthew tells me not to count on it!

Who wants to be a ballerina?

2011-01-27T17:14:00.002-07:00

NOT Emma!!

For months, all I have heard was "I want to go to dance school like Angelina Ballerina!" So, I signed Emma up with Julie Nichols, a woman from my old ward, who teaches out of her home. Emma was really excited. We bought her dance clothes and ballet shoes, and she pretended she was Angelina as she played around in them...and then the first day of class came...and, as you can see from the above pictures she wasn't so excited after all! I made her go, because well, 1. I am not raising my children to think that just because you don't want to do something, you don't have to, and 2. because I spent a lot of money on said class and clothes, and by golly, she was taking that class! The first class was rather horrible. While all the other little girls were twirling and trying, she was completely standing still with her hands clasped together, frowning. I didn't care. She was finishing the 8 week course no matter what, and if she stood still for 8 weeks and didn't move a muscle at the end performance, so be it! However, when we got in the car after the first class was over, Emma said to me and I quote "that was awesome, can I do it again?" Wait, what? Apparently, through all the sulky and standing still she managed to have fun. Go figure. The next week she did great, and we have class number three tomorrow.

Wait...what? Already?

2011-01-20T10:58:00.003-07:00

So, I walked into the kitchen the other night, after stepping out of the room for something, and what did I find? Olivia, standing up! She had apparently used the open dishwasher as her support, and up she went! She's only 7 1/2 months old and she's not only crawling, but now standing? It really is a good thing she wasn't our first, or we would have thought there was something wrong with the rest of our children. NO ONE else crawled until after nine months at the earliest, and sometimes not even that. And no one else was standing until closer to a year...she's growing up too fast :(

I love this picture because she's making the "what, mom?" face! Also, please excuse my dirty stove. Olivia LOVES to put her hands, fingers, mouth, you name it, on the appliances lately so everything is gross!

Coming to get me!!

Cutie, tooties!

Has it been 7 months already?

2011-01-09T12:43:00.005-07:00

It's hard to believe that it's already been seven months since this sweet baby girl joined our family. I don't know if it's because life is busier these days, or just because I am getting older, but time seems to go faster and faster with each child. I remember with Aidan, a year, felt like a year--now, I look at all of my children, especially the baby, and wonder "where has the time gone?" It is bittersweet. I am so happy for her growth and accomplishments, and yet at the same time I don't want her to get any bigger.

This is a pretty typical Olivia face--the "come on, stop torturing me just because you think I look cute in this car" look. At 7 months she weighs 18 lbs (yup, just four pounds less than her two year old brother,) is sitting up by herself, crawling--both with the army man style and on her hands and knees, she is eating solid foods, and starting to drink from a sippy cup. She can take baths in the big tub now, and loves to run her hands under the faucet as the water comes out. She is in love, and I mean in love with her daddy. She can't get enough of him, and if he's home she has to be near him or held by him. She loves Aidan the best, I think, of her siblings. He is the kindest and sweetest to her. He plays with her and aside from Matthew and I, he's the only one that can make her laugh. Her favorite things to play with right now are her Baby Einstein activity center, her rattles, and anything she can put in her mouth and chew on. She still doesn't have any teeth, the only one of my kids to not have teeth at this age. Although, I suspect some any day now. She started sleeping through the night at 3 weeks and decided about a month ago to abandon that tradition. Now, she gets up once a night at midnight for a "topping off" bottle. So kind of her! She is beautiful--a pudgey- perfectly-round-headed-brown-eyed-double chinned-beauty and we are so grateful she is ours!

Tis' the season...blah, blah, blah...yadda, yadda, yadda, and all that stuff...

2010-12-28T18:45:00.006-07:00

I must admit, if you couldn't tell by the title, that I have been a bit of a Grinch this year. More than a bit, more like A LOT. The month started out cheery, even with my pneumonia, I was in good spirits and happy for the holiday season. I was really excited to decorate our tree this year, I even got out every last Christmas decoration I could, putting those up as well. I made ready all of the holiday movies and music, and I even had fun doing my shopping this year. But the week of Christmas, my mood changed. I don't know if it was the stress of wrapping, cooking, cleaning, or taking care of three very sick kids the week before(I swear my house still smells like throw up, even though we shampooed the carpets multiple times,) but I was ready to throw in the towel before the big day had even arrived. And on Christmas day itself, I was worse than Ebenezer Scrooge. Even now I am still a bit ba-hum-buggy. I know I am certainly not the only one that suffers from the stress of the holidays, but I have worked out a plan for next year that will hopefully help keep my spirits up for the whole of December. I am boycotting Christmas! Now before you get too mad at me, hear me out. My plan, is to remove myself from all things stressful--no family parties, no mother or in-law Christmas, no wrapping, no cooking, no cleaning, no secret Santas with siblings--just me, my handsome hubby, and the kids on a Christmas get-a-away. I want to do the Polar Express next year for Christmas Eve and spend the night in a hotel! We will have Santa bring the kids one gift each, our gift to them being the train ride and hotel stay. What do think? I think it sounds wonderful!, The only tricky part will be carefully hiding the gifts in the car on the way up. Oh, and Matthew's family, we are still doing gifts for our respective parents next year, so count us in on the next big family present :) Matthew is all for it, and since the Christmas Eve ride fills up really fast, I will be booking our reservations in January, and breathing easy for the next 11 months! But in the meantime, here are some highlights from the family parties and Christmas day activities.

ipod photos

2010-12-12T09:12:00.015-07:00

All of these photos were taken with Matthew's new ipod. I didn't even realize it could take pictures! It's much handier to have around than the camera, and the quality of most of them is not bad at all! This is Matthew's fourth ipod. The first one he got was a bonus gift from the web company he worked for his last semester of college. When we moved here to Tucson and he started at Raytheon, it, and all of Matthew's CD's were stolen out of the rental car we had. Pretty lame. So, for some holiday, his birthday or our anniversary or something, I got him a new one. Then, about a year later, they came out with the ipod touch. Since we claim poverty when it comes to cell phones and cell phone plans (we have pre-paid) there was no way he was getting the iphone he wanted. So, for Valentines day, I got him yet another ipod. It was the last one I was EVER going to buy. Even after the ipod glass was smashed at work in the group cubby all lab employees have to use (they are not allowed to take any phones or electronic devices with them in the lab for security reasons,) I was still not going to buy a new one. The glass was cracked, yes, but it was still usable and we would learn to deal with it! Then, however, I somehow managed to wash the ipod with a load of Matthew's clothes...yikes. In my defense, though, it's always been Matthew's responsibility to empty his pockets out before throwing his cloths in the hamper. I do have six people to wash for, and I don't have time to look through every article of clothing. That being said, I felt horrible!!! And although Matthew is not a crier, he came pretty darn close that day. Knowing me very well, and seeing that my wheels were turning, Matthew made me pinky swear promise (the most binding of all promises in our marriage) that I wouldn't buy him another ipod for Christmas. I agreed, and we locked pinkies. I then got on the computer and bought another ipod. And on some random day in the beginning of November, I gave it to him--his very un-Christmas present. Engraved on the back is Last One, I Promise!

On a side note--one of my favorite pictures has got to be Emma on the slide, with crazy hair, and some random kid standing next to her. I laughed so hard when I saw those pictures. The kid next to her looks like a deer in headlights!

It's official...

2010-12-06T13:45:00.003-07:00

I haven't felt well for a long time now--long before I was even pregnant with Olivia. At the time I chocked it up to having three kids and lots to do, and then associated all my symptoms with my pregnancy. But, over the last few months, I have had a serious of illnesses that go away only to come back or get worse. My mom told me to go to the doctor and get some tests done. I did. It turns out I have both Lupus and Crones disease. I've had a long list of tests done, including of all things, a syphilis test! It happens to test for certain antibodies that are associated with Lupus, but it was embarrassing, nonetheless :) There is no cure for either of these diseases, but there are lots of treatments and protocols. Mostly preventive care to help boost my immune system. I thought I would be more upset when I got my results back, but really, I am relieved. For so long I thought there was something wrong with me, with my emotional and/or spiritual make up that I couldn't just suck it up and get on with things. I looked at everyone else and wondered why I couldn't find the energy to do this, or that. It's nice to finally have some answers and some solutions. I will have good stretches of health, and some not so good, but knowing why makes things a lot easier!

5 and 2

2010-12-02T14:21:00.004-07:00

In the last few days BOTH of my sweet boys had birthdays! Aidan turned 5 (I can't believe I have a 5 year old...where has the time gone?) and Parker turned 2. We had a low key family party this past Sunday, on Aidan's actual birthday, with cake, presents, and visits from the grandparents. Here Parker is opening one of his presents. He got a musical book and puzzles this year.

Aidan got much needed winter jammies from both Grammy-Ann and Grammy Sally.

And from Mom and Dad, Aidan received a "pirate's bounty." For the last few months Aidan has been asking for a treasure box and pirate stuff. I looked on line, and everything that was pre-maid was over priced for the quality. So, Matthew and I decided to make something ourselves. And by ourselves, I mean I bought everything and Matthew did the making :) We purchased both the large and small boxes and decals at Micheal's and with my 50% off coupon it all came to under $10. I got GREAT deals on line after Halloween and was able to score the hat, sword, gold, hook, eye patch, telescope, compass, and bags for under $10 as well--added bonus, free shipping! We already had the stain and paint in our garage.

My super talented husband made the maps himself using scrapbook paper ($0.25 a piece.) I know I am biased because I love him, but I think they turned out AWESOME! Total price for Aidan's pirate present $19.78!

And, last but not least, Mom with the birthday boys. Aidan, is of course, making a classic Matthew Carpenter face for the camera. It's amazing the things that are genetic :)

Happy belated birthday boys, you've been the best blessings in my life!!!

Mommy's little girl

2010-11-22T10:40:00.003-07:00

Check out those shoes!! I love them! They are red and shiny and very reminiscent of Dorothy from The Wizard Of OZ. This was one of my favorite dresses of Emma's and I love that I get to pass it on to Olivia.

Her eyes are closed, I know, but it's another great shot of her shoes :) AND, look at how cute her double chin is!

And, finally, a shot of Mommy and daughter where we are both smiling(and the only double chin is hers.) Isn't she gorgeous? I know I am biased because she's mine, but really people, that face--don't you just want to squeeze and kiss those cheekies?

Number 5

2010-11-17T09:43:00.003-07:00

Did this blog title fool anyone into thinking I was making an announcement? Ha ha! No, number 5 refers to the number of times in the last three months I have had a painful, annoying, and chronic UTI. I have been on rounds of antibiotics, consumed more cranberry juice than I thought humanly possible, and still it persists. Anyone out there have any suggestions?

Boo

2010-11-05T15:56:00.009-07:00

Here are some pictures from the Halloween fun we had at our (and David and Maryann's) ward Party. Happy Belated Halloween!

Little Beefers--Yup, that's what we call her

2010-10-29T08:01:00.004-07:00

I just can't get enough of her!

Right before the birth of each of my children, I have had a mini-meltdown. I have worried and fretted about whether I would be able to love yet another child the way I love the ones I already have. I would cry to Matthew about how much I loved my current children and what if I didn't love the new one...Matthew, having learned my pattern, would just hug me and remind me (while slightly laughing and making fun of me) that I found a way to love the other three. And it's true--my love continues to multiply, not divide, and I now find myself totally in love with the beefy, cuddly, double-chinny mess of pinch-able chub pictured above. She has been such a joy to our family. She has helped calm Aidan's behavior, she has brought out such a natural maternal side to Emma (so cute to watch them together) and Parker spends all day kissing the top of her head and saying "cute baby." And of course, being a girl, she has Daddy completely wrapped around her finger. No matter how horrible of a day I am having, watching Matthew hold Olivia, kiss her, squish her, or make her laugh just softens whatever hardness is in me. Children really are a blessing and a joy. I get so bogged down with the "dirty" side of mothering. Being the cook, and the maid, and the disciplinarian, and the teacher, an the enforcer, that I often forget to just be mom. The one who laughs with them instead of doing a load of laundry. Or reading a pile of books and letting bath time be a half an hour later. I have found that the days I let life happen instead of planning every single moment out, are the days I actually feel like a good mother--instead of someone fulfilling a job requirement. And when I look at that little face pictured above, I am reminded to let go more and relish these moments with my kids.

Little Brothers

2010-10-24T08:02:00.002-07:00

A typical day at the Carpenter house--Emma trying to draw, and Parker practically on top of her, as she's trying to draw. I must have offered 100 times to give him his own paper to color on, but he kept saying no. Apparently, what he really wanted was to bug his sister. Mission accomplished!

Six

2010-10-21T06:57:00.000-07:00

I've had first loves, failed loves, and unrequited loves. But nothing compares to true love.
Happy Anniversary Matthew!

Apple Annie's

2010-10-17T22:25:00.011-07:00

Last week we went to pick apples and pumpkins with some of our extended family. The kids had such a good time, especially picking apples. Aidan was so excited about using the apple picker. Unfortunately, we didn't get any pictures in the pumpkin patch because a tire on our double stroller had a blow out, and we were too busy trying to keep track of our kids to take pictures. Oh well, maybe next year... I had planned on attempting a pie with the apples we picked, but my kids ate them all before I could--secretly, I was really happy about that, since baking is not really my forte. Not pies, anyway. I am 33 and have never baked a pie in my life--not unless you count pre-heating the oven and popping in a frozen Marie Calendar's or Sara Lee! Any time I go anywhere with all four of our kids, I tend to get a little frazzled and overwhelmed, which leads to impatient and cranky. This outing was no exception, but at least Matthew took the day off of work to spend with us and help me. And, at least the kids had a good time and we were able to get some good pictures and delicious apples. Next week for FHE will will decorate our pumpkins and put them on display. That I am excited for!

Asleep on the job!

2010-10-14T12:00:00.002-07:00

We have recently done away with naps for the three older Carpenter children. I did this in an attempt to get the kids in bed and asleep before 10 pm. Especially Parker, who because of his heightened gag reflex, is unable to be left crying in his crib to fall asleep on his own. When we have attempted that technique in the past, it has ended with him throwing up everywhere, and Matthew and I even more frustrated than before. So, that has meant that he is out and about in the family room, in our room, in the office area, and sneaking into Aidan and Emma's rooms reeking all kinds of bedtime havoc on everyone. Aidan and Emma have also had a very hard time staying in bed once put down. So, for the last few weeks, I have cut nap time out of our routine. It has made the hours of 3-5pm almost unbearable, but it has also resulted in our kids being in bed and asleep by 7:30 or 8:00 o'clock every night of the week. It unfortunately, has also resulted in Parker falling asleep at the dinner table on more than one occasion. But, I have learned to pick my battles, and choose the lesser of the two evils. And, I wind up actually getting some sleep of my own, time with my husband, and some laundry done here and there. All and all, it's been worth it...most days :)

Making Friends

2010-10-08T07:02:00.007-07:00

With how warm it has still been during the day, we've been spending a lot time outside swimming and playing. Recently, Aidan has taken on a new hobby--catching lizards. I wasn't too thrilled about it at first, since in the beginning when he attempted to catch one, he would smear it all over the back wall. Gross! But, with practice and a little advice from Dad, he's gotten really good at tracking them, catching them, playing with them for a bit, and then putting them in the garden when's done. Here he is showing off his latest catch.

Showing the love!

I love this picture. He was so proud of himself. And would you believe that lizard hung out on his hand, and then shoulder for quite sometime after he was caught! Matthew has dubbed him the lizard whisperer...and that's fine, as long as it stays lizards doesn't become a snake thing!

Insane or thrifty? I'll let you decide!

2010-09-27T14:55:00.004-07:00

Here it is, my cloth diapering system. Yes, that is right, I said cloth diapers. For a while now, every time I would go to Costco I would hum and ha and grumble just slightly at the money I had to shell out for disposable diapers. And, for a while now, Matthew has timidly suggested we convert to cloth. I would usually just give him the "easy for you to say, mister goes to work all day" look and he would drop it. But my good friend Carrie, who just happens to cloth diaper herself, finally convinced me to just try it out. She loaned me some diapers, some wipes, and the special laundry soap you wash them with. I was fully prepared to hate every minute of it, but much to my surprise, it wasn't that bad, or that hard. Yes, you have a bit more work involved--but I found that being able to save $100.00 a month on diapers (I currently have two in diapers at the moment) has been well worth it. So, I went on line (there are so many websites now for cloth diapers), bought my diapers(I got two sets to start with), my diaper sprayer, my pail, wipes, and a few accessories, and have been exclusively cloth diapering for a few weeks now. I still have a day here and there where I think "why did I get myself into this?" But most days I am really glad we made the change. The only thing I still buy are wipes for around the house and to keep in the diaper bag for cleaning hands, faces, and the occasional mess. And I will have to buy the laundry soap every few months. But I am still saving much more than I was spending. And I am happy to say that both Olivia and Parker seem to have adjusted to the change as well. I was most worried about Parker, but he does great in them. And for an added bonus, Olivia hasn't had diaper rash since we switched to cloth.

Here is my angel baby sporting her cute new look!

Going private

2010-09-23T22:22:00.003-07:00

Matthew and I are thinking of privatizing our blog. If you would like to still keep up with us, please leave your email address in the comments section, or email directly with your information. That way if and when we do go private we will know who to add!

Great grandparent-a-thon

2010-09-17T15:09:00.008-07:00

For a while now Matthew has been wanting to visit his grandparents. But, I was big and pregnant and not in the mood for travel, and then we were just in survival mode after Olivia was born. But, last weekend we decided it was time to get in gear and see the great grandparents while they were still here. Matthew and I got up Saturday morning at around 6:00 a.m. to get everything packed and ready to go. We got everyone in the van, and left at around 8:30 a.m.---an hour later, we had only gone 30 miles! First Olivia started SCREAMING, so we pulled over to feed and change her. After 25 minutes we were back on the road, only for Aidan to tell us he didn't really go to the bathroom before we left after all, and was going to pee his pants. We were well on the highway at that point and there was no where to stop, so on the side of the road he went! That took another 10 minutes, because Aidan got "stage fright" and didn't get on with his business right away. After we are back in, seat belted up, and on our way again, Emma says "I think I need to go pee, too" Really? Seriously? You didn't have to go 10 minutes ago when we were already stopped? SO, we pull over AGAIN and out hops Emma, very excited, unlike her brother before her, to pee in the dirt. "Look dad, I made the ants a pond." To which dad replied--"that's great, get in the van."

So, three, instead of two, hours later we arrive at GranMarie's assisted living facility in Gilbert. And, much to our happy surprise, Matthew's sister Amanda and her family had waited for us and we were able to visit, play games, and let the cousins hang out. Here are some pictures of the first stop on the great-grandparent-a-thon:

GranMarie eating her lunch, while Grammy Ann holds Olivia. Parker, being adorable as always!

I'm not sure what to say about this one...Emma's a nut!

The cousins playing in the shade

Playing Apples to Apples while trying to feed Olivia at the same time

Four generations of Petersons/Carpenters. Aidan takes after his father WAY too much when it comes to smiling for pictures!

After our visit with GranMarie, we headed to Cafe Rio for some very yummy Mexican food. I love eating there because 1. reminds me of Provo and 2. if you eat in the restaurant kids under 12 get free cheese quesadillas. Everyone was well behaved at the restaurant, a nice side effect of being tired, and the only complaint I had was that there were no changing tables in the bathroom. I had to change Olivia and Parker on the floor. Then it was off to Valley Farms to visit the Carpenter grandparents. This leg of the trip was much better, everyone was passed out :) Here are a few of the photos we snapped while there:

The kids eating the wonderful dinner Grandma made for us, along with their second cousin Tanner. His family lives right across the street--very Everybody Loves Raymond, although I think they all actually get along :)

Me and Olivia visiting with Grandpa and Grandma

Parker, showing the love

And last but not least, Grandma with one of the newer great-grandchildren...I can't keep up with how many there are now!

It was a long trip and a long day, but such a wonderful one. The kids really had a great time visiting with everyone. But the best part of the day for me was the ride home, in the dark, while everyone was sleeping, and the happy and content look on my husband's face. Let's hope he feels the same way next summer when we all go to Vermont :)

Baby Envy?

2010-09-13T08:09:00.002-07:00

Lately, whenever I leave the room and then return, I usually find Parker in something that belongs to the baby. Here he is in Olivia's Bumbo seat...

...and here in the bouncy seat (he climbed on the table, crawled in, and proceeded to drink his bedtime bottle and play with the toys for a good 15 minutes. And just in case you think it's a little weird that we give our almost 2 year old a bottle still, he is underweight and will only drink large amounts of whole milk from a bottle. So, we still use them along with sippy cups)...

...and lastly in her swing. He even buckled himself in and closed the tray!

Since the day we brought Olivia home, Parker, the one we thought that would have the most problems with a new baby, has actually been the gentlest, sweetest, and nicest to her. However, it appears that part of him misses being the baby :)

How do you do home improvement projects with four kids?

2010-09-08T11:55:00.004-07:00

With one in your lap, of course!

The star of the show

2010-09-06T06:47:00.002-07:00

Our sweet Olivia Rose on her blessing day. That smile melts my heart every time!

The things I think, but never say out loud...

2010-09-05T16:46:00.007-07:00

...it's getting dark in my room right now, the blinds are closed and I am too lazy to turn on the light. I can hear the sound of Matthew taking plates out of the cupboard, no doubt to feed the kids--my job, but I am too lazy to get up and do it. Today we blessed our daughter Olivia at our church (I say we, but really it was just Matthew who blessed her. I don't have the priesthood--and that's ok, because really, I am too lazy for the responsibility.) It was supposed to be a spiritual day, as most Sundays are supposed to be. But this was supposed to be a special spiritual day, a day to thank Heavenly Father for the new life we are now in charge of. A day of family and a day of happiness. But for me, as most Sundays actually are, it was anything but. It was chaos. It was my mother getting mad at me for not letting her take the sacrament. She's not a Mormon, and for some reason when she takes the sacrament, it really bugs me--I know, stupid, we let our kids, not yet baptized take it, but that's how I feel. It was Aidan's constant out of control behavior, it was Parker throwing up on the newly shampooed carpets, and it was my father-in-law's subtle jab that I never let my husband go hunting (which is true, but I spend ten hours a day away from him as he attempts to impress the bosses and further his career-- so, too bad, he's spending labor day at home with his kids!) It was sore feet, knees, and a back from hours of cleaning to help me feel like at least my house is half way decent, even though my neighborhood has gone to hell. And it is, that every day, in one way or another, life is just never what I want it to be. I think these things a lot, especially when it's dark in my room and I am too lazy to turn the light on. When I can hear Matthew in the other room with the kids, mostly yelling because he's the lone parent on duty, trying to give me a break and some time to myself to think about these things I never say out loud-- except to him. Except to the one person on this planet that doesn't care that I think these things. Who loves me when I'm grouchy, when I'm unfair, when I'm overbearing, when I've failed as a mother (which is most days), when I say mean things, when I slip and use bad language (which is most days), when I make him do more than his fair share (which is not most days, usually just Sundays) because I am too lazy to do my fair share, and when I cry because I am all of these things. He doesn't judge me. He just holds me tight and whispers all of the things I need to hear. These are the things I think, but never say out loud. And I probably won't say them out loud again, because really I should just keep my thoughts to myself. Except for tonight. Tonight was for me, because today was for him. Today meant more to him, than it did to me--and for them, because they mean most of all.

Gift

2010-09-02T14:57:00.002-07:00

What does a husband, whose hobby and side business is web design, get for his wife as an anniversary present? No, not the earrings she asked for...but a BLOG MAKEOVER!!! Matthew has been wanting to re-do the design on my blog for a long time now, but with how busy he is with work, his own business, and being a husband and father, there wasn't much room in his schedule for my little ol' blog. SO, I went to Kassie Garlock, from Designs by Kassie and she gave me a blog makeover! She was so wonderful to work with, and so accommodating! I love my new blog--who needs earrings? This was much more fun, and it was really nice to have Matthew come up with a gift on his own, and actually have him excited about it. And honestly, it was nice for me to be surprised instead of having to tell Matthew what to get me. Way to go honey, and thanks Kassie!!!

A great give away!

2010-08-27T13:27:00.002-07:00

Hop over to my friend Karla's blog HERE and check out this great give-a-away they are offering. It really is too cute to pass up!!!

Poser

2010-08-16T10:45:00.003-07:00

This is how I found Parker one afternoon, lounging around on my bed with his fist on his cheek, and his legs kicking back and forth. He had a book he was looking at, but I moved it out of the way for the picture. He is just too cute!

Lazy days of summer

2010-08-11T15:55:00.002-07:00

Most of our summer afternoons have consisted of this : Kids swimming in the pool...

...and babies lying around practically naked...

...and Parker eating popsicles...

...and brothers and sisters posing for the camera.

Now that summer is almost over, I wonder what we will do with our afternoons?

Home grown

2010-08-08T07:37:00.002-07:00

Parker was helping daddy trim out the garden, and got creative with the squash leaves. When I saw the pictures Matthew took, it reminded me of a popular doll from the 80's. And, yes, I had one.

Pre-Schoolers

2010-08-02T10:14:00.004-07:00

Aidan and Emma started pre-school on the 22cd of July. They are loving it!

Sunday Evening

2010-07-12T10:11:00.003-07:00

Parker at 7 pm, after not taking a nap all day!

Olivia and Daddy--someone's not having any fun...

Emma doing what she loves to do best, besides read that is, her puzzles!

Aidan striking a pose.

Brotherly Love

2010-07-01T10:24:00.002-07:00

Aidan's new favorite past time, holding his new baby sister!

My Emma Girl

2010-06-28T08:30:00.004-07:00

Three years ago yesterday, at a ridiculously early hour of the morning, we welcomed our first daughter into the world.

Emma on her first birthday, opening presents and sitting in her pink chair.

Emma's second birthday. Aidan had a little trouble not being the center of attention. Notice the tear stained face and red eyes.

And here is my sweet Emma, yesterday, looking very grown up, about to blow out the candles on her third birthday cake. Where does the time go? I feel as though I have blinked and she has grown up without my noticing. Happy Birthday Emma girl, we love you so very much!

Getting me through

2010-06-21T11:28:00.000-07:00

These last two weeks have been really hard. A new baby is a blessing, but also a hardship for me. Four is definitely harder than three, nursing isn't working, and I am pumping every three hours to make sure my milk doesn't dry up. I have already had mastitis, and blocked ducts. My house is a mess with no end in sight, and I worry every moment that I am not meeting one of my four children's needs in one way or another. I am depressed, sad, lonely, and overwhelmed. All things to expect the first few weeks after having a baby. I know it will pass. I know many have it worse than me. I know many things, but have a hard time feeling them at the moment. This has helped me feel hopeful. I watch it several times a day. I hope you will take a minute and watch it, too.

Here

It's a....

2010-06-09T15:45:00.002-07:00

GIRL!!
Olivia Rose Carpenter was born at 4:34 a.m. on Monday June 7th. She was exactly 8 lbs. even and was 18 1/2 inches long. I woke up around 1:30 a.m. with very, very intense pressure and knew it was time to go to the hospital. When we got there at 2:30 a.m. I was 6 cm dilated, and by the time I got to my room I was 8 cm. I just barely got my epidural in before it was time to push. There were no epidural difficulties like in the past, and no complications afterwords like with Emma. It was a very wonderful delivery experience.

Proud Papa feeding baby.

I've never seen Aidan so excited about ANYTHING, as he was about meeting and holding his new baby sister. Ever since she's been home, all he's wanted to do is hold her.

Even Parker was excited, and did really well with her. He was gentle, and gave lots and lots of kisses.

Emma's turn! She was so thrilled at the idea of a sister that was going to get to sleep in her room. Then, the first night when Olivia woke up at midnight screaming, Emma told me I didn't have to bring her back in, that she could sleep in our room. Too funny.

So, we are home now, adjusting to our new little addition. Aidan and Emma are spending the next few days with Matthew's mother, while Parker stays with us. So far, it's been relatively quiet and calm. Matthew is home from work until Monday, to help me, thank goodness. I am sure next week, when I am on my own with the kids, things won't be so blissful, but for now we are enjoying the peace.

Still waiting!

2010-06-03T08:43:00.001-07:00

We are still anxiously awaiting the arrival of Baby Carpenter! No signs yet of his/her grand entrance. This is actually the longest I have gone without going into labor on my own, or being induced. I still have three days until my due date, and am hoping this weekend brings us a happy surprise. I'll keep you all posted!

Ready to pop...

2010-05-26T09:54:00.002-07:00

...literally!

What is growing in your garden?

2010-05-25T10:53:00.001-07:00

Emma and Aidan after we picked potatoes out of our garden!

Third AND final ultrasound

2010-05-16T10:45:00.002-07:00

This past Wednesday I had my third ultrasound. And the GREAT news is...I don't have to have a C-section!!! Well, not for my low lying placenta anyway. Barring any "normal" complications, I have been cleared for a vaginal delivery. YEAH! My placenta is now 4 1/2 centimeters away from the cervix and the baby is head down. I can't tell you how happy I am about that :)

Now, if we can just get the baby to make it's grand entrance into the world, everything would be perfect!

Useless...

2010-05-10T13:16:00.003-07:00

...that would be me the last month of pregnancy...completely and totally useless. I lay around, much like a beached wale, sweating, trying to parent from the couch and typically just saying "stop that" about a thousand times a day. I shower at night, in a hurry, throw my hair in a bun, and proceed to put on ANOTHER pair of sweat pants and my husband's T-shirts, which I will spend the whole rest of the next day in. That's about all that fits me these days. I don't cook anymore, I don't do laundry, I haven't vacuumed in a while and have no plans to any time soon. And yet, my kids get fed, the laundry gets done, and the carpets are vacuumed. How? This guy:

The guy in the goofy shirt who works hard all day, comes home to a very pregnant, very cranky wife, and takes over. He cooks without complaining, throws laundry in the machine without having to be asked, bathes the kids, plays with the kids, gets them down for bed, and then asks me if there is anything I want--pregnancy cravings, other housework to be done? And after my nightly lists, he sits down at his computer and goes to work for his web clients. He doesn't murmur. He doesn't yell at me, he doesn't even act like it bothers him that I am basically just taking up space growing this baby. He tells me I am pretty, (even when I have been in the same clothes for days) that he loves me, and that I am a good mom (even though that is debatable at the present moment.) He is the best husband in the world, and I am so glad that even though I am currently useless, he is anything but!

How do you sleep?

2010-05-03T10:17:00.003-07:00

I wish I could say this is a rare occurrence, but more often than not, Emma falls asleep at night in the strangest places and in the strangest positions. She has a bit of insomnia, and even though we've put her down for the night, she frequently gets up, hangs out in the hallway or goes and falls asleep in the living room or family room. Sometimes we don't find her until the next morning...
This is one of my favorite "sleeping" shots we have of her. We went to Fudruckers for dinner one night, and the kids had balloons done for them and Emma wore hers to bed until it deflated, almost a week later. We'd take if off of her, she'd get up, put it back on, and go back to sleep.

Our crazy girl! Oh how we love her!!

Second Ultrasound

2010-04-08T10:44:00.003-07:00

On Tuesday I had my second ultrasound to determine if my placenta had moved away from my cervix, or was still too close. It hadn't moved very much, but it did move enough to give us hope that I could still avoid a C-section. However, the baby is currently presenting breach. It's cute little bottom is resting right smack dab on my cervix. There is still enough time for the baby to move into the head down position, but if at 36 weeks, when I go back for my final ultrasound the baby hasn't moved, or the placenta hasn't moved enough either, it will be a C-section for sure. The good news is, that the baby looked good. We were able to see hair floating around it's head---that will be interesting. Emma was born with thick, jet black hair that fell out within a month, but the boys were both born with short hair and looked more bald than anything. The baby currently weighs around 3 pounds and 4 ounces which puts it in the 47th percentile for this stage of it's development. Hopefully the baby will be around 7+ pounds like the others.

Only 8 more weeks, give or take. I am definitely ready to be done with this pregnancy. Although, compared to Parker's pregnancy, I really can't complain much. I can still walk and get some sleep at night--here's hoping that continues :)

Desert Fun

2010-04-01T16:01:00.011-07:00

A few weeks ago, some of the Carpenters' got together for some desert fun. We rode horses, ate dutch oven meals and smores, (thank you Matthew for the unflattering pictures of me stuffing my face) played horse shoes, shot guns, and sat around the fire talking and being a family. It was a lot of fun and the kids had a blast playing in the dirt. There was at least a pound of sand in the tub that night. My favorite pictures of the day were of Parker pulling uncle Benjamin's hair and his subsequent expression. Thanks for being such a good sport Benjamin!!!

And please feel free to continue to leave name ideas--we have a boys name, we just need help with the girls names!

Names

2010-03-29T12:56:00.002-07:00

Matthew and I have settled on a boys name--but for the life of us, can not come up with a girls name we both like. Any suggestions?

Genetics

2010-03-21T10:29:00.005-07:00

Apparently facial expressions are hereditary, too!

Franken-Parker

2010-03-19T12:00:00.003-07:00

On Monday night Parker and Emma were playing with Aidan's step stool, climbing on and off the bed, when we heard a scream, followed by very intense crying. The first sign of trouble. We went into the boys room to see Parker's face covered in blood and a rather deep gash over his left eye. I called my mom, and luckily she was able to come right over. We took Parker to the TMC pediatric ER, where he received 5 stitches. I ended up leaving the room bawling after the third stitch was put in, and when it was all over Matthew was a white as a ghost and said he thought he was going to faint. I got the nurse and she made him lie down, elevating his feet above his head, and making him drink juice and eat cookies. We were both surprised and rather embarrassed by our reactions. What a pathetic pair of parents we are indeed :)

Parker however, was a trooper. He didn't like being wrapped in a sheet and held down during the procedure, but was crying out of annoyance and not pain. Once it was all over, he was smiling and happy and flirting with the nurses. I, however, had puffy eyes and Matthew looked half dead. Hopefully we won't have to make another trip to the hospital with Parker any time soon. This was our second trip for a head wound in a month!

The big weigh in

2010-03-05T12:14:00.002-07:00

Well, it's official, my little runt finally hit 20 pounds! At his one year check up he was only 18 pounds 11 ounces, which put him in the one percentile for weight. Our pediatrician told us to feed him whatever he would eat--candy, cheesecake, butter on everything, and to try pedi-sure. We did all of that, and after a month he gained a pound and a little and although we have to keep him on the pedi-sure until 18 months, I am happy that he is gaining weight. I have to say though, that Parker has been our most expensive child by far. First he was on "liquid gold" the alimentium formula that was around $30.00 for 16 ounces, then he had to have the helmet, which cost a few thousand dollars (yeah for good insurance coverage) and now the pedi-sure that is rather pricey, too. Good thing he's cute!

Our 2 Kitchens

2010-02-23T19:25:00.006-07:00

Here is a link to my friend Hannah and her friend Kristen's joint food blog. You can also access their blog through my list of friends and family under Hannah's name. There are a ton of great recipes here, and I intend to try out a bunch of them. If you're in the market for some new recipes, check it out!

http://our2kitchens.blogspot.com

Recipe

2010-02-14T19:51:00.005-07:00

In light of my recent declaration to cook more, I am posting a recipe that is not only delicious, but it's easy and inexpensive, too.

Fettuccine Alfredo:

1/4 cup of butter
1 cup heavy cream
1 clove garlic, crushed (or you can use garlic powder.) You can also buy crushed garlic in jars for under $2 at the store. It's usually found in the produce section of the grocery store.
1 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese ( you can also buy this pre-shredded already measured out in 1 1/2 cup bags. It's much cheaper than buying fresh and it tastes just as good. I've done it both ways.
1/4 cup freshly grated parsley

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium/low heat. Add cream and simmer for 5 minutes, then add garlic and cheese and whisk quickly heating through until a thick sauce forms. Thin to desired consistency with more heavy cream or milk if desired. Stir in parsley and serve with fettuccine or your favorite pasta.

We've had this a few times now, and it's become a family favorite. Sometimes if I'm in a hurry I just serve it with some type of bread. But I serve it with salad, too. Also if you want, you can add broccoli and/or chicken to the actual pasta and sauce.

Please ignore the half eaten bread stick

Emma liked it...

...and Aidan too!

2010 Goals

2010-01-27T10:22:00.004-07:00

I know it's a little late to be making New Year's resolutions, but that actually falls under one of the things I hope to work on this year...procrastination. I tend to put things off, and not just little things like laundry, dishes, and housework that can frankly wait and will always need to be done. But the big things, personal things, things of importance like faith, family, and self improvement. So, my hopes for 2010 are the following:

1. My Faith--something deeply personal and something easily pushed to the side and ignored when I stay too focused on the laundry, the dishes, and the housework. I remember when I first joined the church almost 14 years ago, I was much, much more diligent in my personal scripture study and prayer. I was eager and excited and wanted to know everything. I wasn't married, I didn't have kids or a house to run and when I wanted to read or pray, I did. Now with the demands of motherhood and wifedom I don't prioritize the way I used to, or need to. I don't make the time to cultivate my personal relationship with my faith and with my creator. I do the things that are "required" such as blessing the food at meals, family prayer at night and a Book of Mormon story before bed with the kids, but personally I am stagnant. So, this year I want to set a goal to read at least one chapter of scripture a day and say one personal prayer.

2. Patience--I don't have any. For the kids, for my husband, or for myself. I get easily frustrated and it affects everyone. I have been working on deep breathing and counting to ten and will continue to strive to not yell as much and be kinder and gentler to my family.

3. Weekly Date Night--The more kids we seem to have, the less time Matthew and I seem to spend one on one with each other. By the time all three kids are in bed, we are so exhausted that we seriously just fall into bed and pass out. I miss him. Our conversations, our jokes, our quiet moments of cuddling and watching T.V. We have been pretty good about going and doing something together every couple of weeks--we actually just spent the night in Phoenix this past weekend and it was really nice to get away. But we need to have one night a week that is just about us. My mom typically comes over every Wednesday to see the kids and give me a break so I can run errands, go to appointments, shop, or occasionally take a nap. She has graciously agreed to add evenings to Wednesdays so Matthew and I can go out together--to dinner, a cheap movie, or just to Barnes and Noble to browse (one of our favorite things to do.) I hope after the baby is born we are able to keep it up.

4. Cooking more and not just "heating" up a skillet meal or frying up hot dogs. I am rather obsessed with the food network and always see great recipes I want to try out. I am usually so wiped out by 5 pm that the last thing I want to do is make dinner, but the older my kids get the more I realize the importance of a good meal and time together around the dinner table. That is not to say I will never make hot dogs or kraft mac and cheese again, just not as frequently. I am learning that good food doesn't have to take a lot of time, cost a lot of money, or require tons of skill.

Here's hoping that I can tackle the procrastination so I can accomplish the rest :)

Ultrasound

2010-01-13T22:58:00.005-07:00

This is a weird picture, I know...for some reason the baby was in a strange mermaid position. Despite that, the baby DOES have two legs, and ten fingers and ten toes and all organs functioning properly. The only mild complication that was detected was a low lying placenta that may or may not result in placenta previa the closer I get to delivering. I will go back at 30 weeks for another ultrasound to see if the placenta has moved higher, lower, or stayed the same. It is less than one centimeter from the cervix, and it needs to be one centimeter or higher above the cervix to avoid a problem. It could correct itself as my uterus continues to grow, or it could end up covering the cervix, which would mean a C-section. But, it isn't too much of a worry or concern at this point in the pregnancy.

As for the gender of the baby...that we have decided to make a surprise. Matthew really wanted to wait until the baby was born, and so that is what we are doing. So,despite his use of "he" when referring to the baby, the sex is still undetermined. I guess it looks like we'll just have to wait and see whose poll answers were right :)

Alphabet Book

2010-01-09T19:56:00.004-07:00

This is my "homemade" alphabet book. I got the idea from my sister in law, Amanda, who made something similar for our niece Cambria for Christmas. It's a relatively easy, inexpensive, and fun way to introduce and teach your kids the alphabet. Aidan and Emma have really enjoyed looking at it and Aidan has almost all of his letters memorized--although I can't in good conscience take the credit for that, he's been in pre-school since the end of August. But, for Emma it's a head start on next year when she starts pre-school. If anyone is interested, the website can be found here Project Alphabet. I also made a numbers book, which can also be found on the project alphabet website.

Birthdays, Rashes, and Christmas

2009-12-28T15:54:00.009-07:00

The beginning of the month started out with us celebrating both Aidan and Parker's birthdays. Aidan turned four and Parker turned one! We had a joint birthday party (where I didn't get any pictures of the kids opening their presents or blowing out the candles. I was too busy videoing.) Matthew however, did get some not so flattering ones of me, one of which I posted :) The only redeeming factor is my ADORABLE new little niece Jocelyn. Then, mid-way through December, amongst colds, ear infections, and coughs, we had a chicken pox scare. Emma turned up one night with spots covering her from head to toe. We assumed they were chicken pox because they looked just like them. However, when we took her to the doctor we found out that it was not in fact the chicken pox, but an allergic reaction to something she either touched, ate, or breathed in...very specific, I know. We still don't know what caused it, but after about a week the spots went away. And most recently, we celebrated Christmas with our families. Santa was good to us all this year, and we most certainly can't complain. Aside from the gifts we received, we were actually all healthy this year. Something I was very grateful for! We hope everyone else had a wonderful Christmas and will have a safe, happy, and healthy new year!

Polar Express

2009-11-30T10:00:00.004-07:00

Aidan and Emma with Mrs. Claus.

The kids playing in the Polar Room.

Daddy and Parker!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

On the train!!!

Eating their cookies.

Aidan anxiously awaiting his turn with Santa.

Emma with her bell...Santa gives every child a bell, just like in the story.

Exhausted baby. Within in seconds of the picture being taken, he was out for the count.

Old habits die hard. My New England upbringing came rushing back to me, as I scraped the snow off the car.

I have had a few friends take their kids up to Williams, AZ to ride the Polar Express in years past. I was very excited that this year my kids were old enough to go (and hopefully remember the experience.) The only date left when I went to book my tickets just happened to be Aidan's birthday. I thought it couldn't be more perfect to celebrate Aidan and his special day, than by taking him to ride on a train. He is rather obsessed with them. We left Saturday morning the 28th at about 11:00 am, got to Williams around 3:30 pm, checked into our hotel, went to a restaurant, where we let the kids get their OWN meals (we typically have them share because it's a waste of money otherwise--no one ever finishes.) But, Aidan really, really wanted the spagetti and Emma really, really wanted the mac & cheese, so I gave in. And to my surprise they both finished every bite! After that we headed to the train station to get our tickets. We then spent the next hour walking around looking at the lights, browsing the gift shop, and playing in the Polar Room with Mrs. Claus, and writing our letters to Santa. It was a bit stressful at times trying to keep my eyes on all three kids at once (we didn't bring the stroller this trip) but the kids were well behaved, especially in the car, and that made it easier overall.

The train ride was AWESOME. We had hot chocolate and cookies, had the Polar Express story read to us, saw the lights and the houses of the "North Pole" out our windows, met Santa, and sang Christmas Carols. Aidan and Emma participated, listened, and were over the moon that they got to shake Santa's hand. After the train ride, we went back to the hotel and crashed. We got home Sunday around 3:00 pm and had naps and down time. I really, really loved the trip and want to make it a yearly tradition.

Thanksgiving

2009-11-30T09:29:00.004-07:00

My sister-in-law, Melanie, made letter cookies for the kids to decorate before we ate.

The kids really enjoyed decorating their cookies with icing and sprinkles.

But, I think they enjoyed eating them more!

Playing outside after the feast.

The men's version of "watching the kids"--notice Grandpa and uncle Benjamin in the background :)

Thanksgiving this year was spent with the in-laws. We met up at the park around 11:30 to play, and then headed back to my mother and father-in-law's house for food around 1:00 pm. The food was very yummy, and I enjoyed very much that I wasn't in charge of the Turkey this year. Last year, while 9 months pregnant with Parker, I decided to cook my very first Thanksgiving dinner all by myself...I won't be doing that again :)

After dinner the girls (and Grandpa) went to see New Moon. I had already seen it a week earlier (I couldn't wait :) but enjoyed it just as much the second time around. It was a nice, relaxing day and it was made all the better by being with family!

The widget to your right

2009-11-15T19:40:00.003-07:00

In case you're wondering if the floating baby to the right means anything, it does. I am officially pregnant with baby # 4. Matthew and I are both excited and stressed out about being pregnant again. I have been very sick, and that has made it hard on everyone. But hopefully in a few weeks that will pass and I will actually care about cleaning my house, doing the dishes and the laundry, and feeding my kids something other than chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese.

I am about 11 weeks along, although I already look four months pregnant. Apparently in my case the more you have, the earlier you pop. By 8 weeks I couldn't button my pants anymore, so now I am at that fun, awkward stage where none of my clothes fit me, but maternity pants are still too big. I am currently living in my sweat pants and Matthew's t-shirts. I am trying to be positive however, because this is going to be our last baby. I am hoping once this morning/all day sickness passes I can actually enjoy some of this pregnancy and relish the fact that I won't ever have to do it again!

Parker's New Trick

2009-11-05T16:17:00.003-07:00

Ta-Da!

Outside Fun

2009-11-03T10:33:00.003-07:00

Since the weather has remained unseasonably warm, we have remained outside much of the time. Aidan and Emma have really learned how to play well together and have even become friends lately. They make up games and play make believe a lot, especially when they are outside and have use of their jungle gym/club house.

Parker in his swing. His hair gets a little crazy when he's been swinging for a while :)

Aidan and Emma playing baseball together!

This is one of my favorite pictures. As long as we have lived in this house, four years now, I have hated our concrete wall. But recently, I thought since we had this blank canvas outside, why not use it. It's the biggest and best easel the kids could ask for, and clean up is a breeze--just hose it down. Although, the pictures are still on the wall. We just keep adding to them in any free space we have.

My little Park-in-ator! This is where you will most likely find Parker if we are outside. He doesn't like crawling on the grass, so I spread out the blanket and he enjoys crawling all around it, playing with toys, and watching his brother and sister run around.

Halloween

2009-11-02T12:16:00.003-07:00

Even though we were all sick with one thing or another, we still managed to have some Halloween fun! We took the kids to my in-laws ward party, where there was dinner, games, a costume fashion show, and trunk-or-treating. The kids made out like bandits, and have been eating their candy non-stop since Saturday.

Emma lying on the floor after falling off the costume "cat walk." I couldn't help but laugh. She looked so funny on the ground from behind I just had to get a picture.

Matthew threw together a last minute clown costume...Parker didn't like the hair so much.

Five

2009-10-21T09:41:00.003-07:00

Five years ago today Matthew and I got married. And even though I woke up this morning to find the sink still full of the dishes Matthew promised to do before bed last night, I am still glad he's my husband.

California Trip

2009-10-19T12:00:00.005-07:00

About a month ago, we loaded the kids and all of our stuff, into the van and headed to California for the weekend. We were going for the Carpenter Family Reunion that was to be held at DisneyLand and the beach. I was really, really apprehensive about spending 7-8 hours in the car with my almost four year old, two year old, and ten month old. The drive there wasn't as good as the drive back home proved to be, but considering their ages and that we don't have a DVD player in our van, I thought it went pretty well. We caravan-ed with my in-laws and made it to our hotel around 8:30 or 9:00 pm. The next morning, Friday, we headed to DisneyLand with our double stroller and three kids, bracing ourselves for tantrums, exhausted outbursts, and sibling squabbles...BUT, to my utter and complete amazement, we went the entire TWELVE hours we were there with not so much as a disagreeable peep from ANY of them. Parker was AMAZING. He vacillated back and forth between me and Matthew (and the grandparents) holding him in his snuggly to hanging out in the stroller. He napped when he was tired, and was in a happy mood all day. Aidan and Emma got a long great and listened to everything we said. Emma caught a nap too, unlike Aidan who was the energizer bunny--with no desire to slow down at all. We rode everything we could that was kid friendly. Aidan even went on splash mountain with his uncle, just barely meeting the height requirement. We spent time with other family members and by ourselves, and it was so far, the best family outing we've had to date. Needless to say the kids passed right out when we got back to the hotel.

The next day we spent at the beach and the church for some more family reunion fun. Aidan and Parker loved the ocean. Emma, not so much. She was content to play with her uncle Benjamin in the sand. We had such a great time as a family in California and I am still in shock, a month later, how well our kids did. And those of you who know my kids well (especially my oldest) a weekend without discipline or a time out is a miracle :)

Catch Up

2009-09-11T17:21:00.008-07:00

Lots has been going on around here the last couple of weeks. Some of the more noteworthy events are (going in order of the pictures):

1. Parker had his first milkshake, strawberry, and LOVED it!

2. Emma has discovered her love of all things artsy and craftsy.

3. Aidan started pre-school!!!!

4. My sister-in-law, Melanie and her husband Scott, welcomed their second child, Seamus Alexander Mcleod into the world!

And, in between all the big and little events, there were baths, visits with Grammy-Ann, fun outside, and naps!

Angel Baby

2009-08-17T08:55:00.003-07:00

My sweet Parker napping in his playpen. Does it get any better than this?

The Usual

2009-08-08T16:06:00.008-07:00

There is not much new going on at the Carpenter house lately, just the usual craziness that exists with three kids, three and under. Matthew has been arming himself with the camera this past week, and here is what he captured.

*Side note: The reason for Emma's semi-nakedness, is that we are currently potty training her. And, for the sake of my sanity, I leave her in just her pull-up.

Wicked was...

2009-07-25T22:55:00.002-07:00

...wicked awesome!

Today Matthew and I went to see Wicked at the ASU Gammage theater in Tempe and it was fantastic! Not only was the show wonderful, but I got to see my dear friend Trish, whom I haven't seen in weeks! After the matinee, we headed to my favorite restaurant, Cafe Rio, for some very yummy Mexican food. We arrived home just in time to kiss the kiddos good night and tuck them in. All in all, it was a great day and a great date-- thanks honey!

What does TV do to your kids?

2009-07-21T10:10:00.002-07:00

This is what it does to mine!

Vermont

2009-07-20T12:20:00.004-07:00

Parker enjoying the view from the plane window.

Being cute and good natured, which he was, the ENTIRE trip, whether on the plane or in the car, or hanging out with family.

Sitto and Jiddo (my grandparents) meeting Parker for the first time. They didn't know we were coming, since it was such a last minute trip, and we surprised them! It was wonderful, and they were so happy!
Meeting Grampy Phil for the first time at the hospital. Parker did wonders for my dad, and I was so glad that we were able to be there to help him.

Sitto playing with Parker and Maddison, my niece.

Bobby, my stepfather, Maddison, Ashton, and Jiddo all hanging out outside at the family BBQ we had on one of the last nights we were there.
Jiddo and Ashton, Ashton was taking a break from his almost NON-STOP activity.

My sister-in-law Sara and Parker...It was so wonderful to spend time with her, I love Sara a lot and wish we lived closer!!
The fam just hanging out!

My other mom Kelly (yes, I have two :) "hogging" the baby!

He did this most nights while we were at Bobby and Kelly's house...he took to his Grammy Kelly very well.
Sara, my brother Matt, Me, Kelly and Parker, my uncle Mikey, and Maddison

Justina, my brother Shaun's girlfriend feeding Parker. He just LOVED her!

Parker and my brother Shaun!For all his talk of never having kids, he is SUCH a natural with them. He had Parker laughing the whole time.

Although our trip to VT wasn't recreational, it sure was wonderful to see so much family and be able to be with my dad at the hospital. He will be there a bit longer, but we were able to get a lot accomplished while we were there. We met with his doctors and ran around like crazy back and forth from the court house getting power of attorney over my dad's healthcare and general state of affairs--not something that is fun to do, but at a certain point is necessary. We cleaned his apartment for him so it would be nice and organized when he gets home, we took care of his finances, and many other things that he wasn't able to do by himself. It was a busy week and a stressful week, but a good one, nonetheless. I am so grateful to my in-laws who at the drop of a hat took my kids for eight long days, and my mom Kelly who didn't hesitate to take us in, feed us, wash our clothes, and meet our every need while we were there. We love you all, and are so lucky to have you as our family!

Gone for a bit

2009-07-02T18:05:00.002-07:00

I won't be blogging for a little while. I am leaving for Vermont on Sunday to tend to the needs of my father, who has been hospitalized. I will be pre-occupied with taking care of him while there, and when I get home (as much as I can from here.) Please pardon my absence from the blogosphere, I will return just as soon as I can :)

Emma's Birthday

2009-07-01T09:12:00.007-07:00

On Saturday, the 27th, my baby girl turned two! We all know, and we all say that time goes by so fast, but I really can't believe that it's already been two years since our family was blessed with Emma's arrival. She is such a gift to us. Her energy, her sweetness, her humor, her affection, her stubbornness, and her adorable attempts at independence, amaze me every day. She is just as much Mommy's little girl, as she is Daddy's. We had our family over on Saturday for a party, where we enjoyed presents (thanks everyone), cake, ice cream, and lots of fun outside. Emma had such a great time, and so did we! Happy Birthday baby, we love you so much!

What a difference a day makes!

2009-06-22T11:49:00.008-07:00

What a difference a day makes, indeed! This past Friday, Matthew and I went up to Mesa to go to the Temple, which was just so wonderful. We did sealings, visited the distribution center, and had lunch at my favorite restaurant, Cafe Rio. After that, we checked into a hotel near by, and proceeded to enjoy a child-free rest of the day/night. The quiet alone was worth the trip :) We went to bed early, and even slept in--I can't remember the last time Matthew and I slept in past 7 a.m. We woke up, lounged around, watched uniterupted T.V. and had lunch at the cheesecake factory in honor of Father's Day. Even the flat tire we experienced as we left the hotel wasn't that bad. We ended up having to get it replaced, which took two hours, but there was a Super-Walmart across the street from the Discount Tire store we went to, so we waited there, getting some of Emma's birthday shopping done. We got home Saturday afternoon around 4:30 p.m. and even two days later, I still feel rested, rejuvinated, and able to handle Matthew's crazy work schedule, and my crazy kids again! I think we need to do this every six months or so. It was so good for us as a couple to get away, even if just for a day and night, to spent time alone, talking, laughing, and being without the kids. We were just Matthew and Niki, not Mommy and Daddy. It is so easy to get caught up in family life and even easier to forget about cultivating and nourishing the marriage. I'm really glad we did it, and I can't wait to til we can get away again!

Finally!!!

2009-06-16T08:08:00.006-07:00

Well, after four years in our house, we finally got our back yard landscaped. Matthew is over the moon, since getting the backyard done was one of the first things he wanted to do, but I made him wait while we tiled, painted, and purchased furniture over the years instead; (happy Father's Day, honey, I am now too broke to buy you anything else :) I must admit, that I am really excited about the backyard, too. It has been done for about two weeks now, but we had to stay off of it while the grass "took" to the ground and melded together. On Saturday we bought a little pool for the kids, and we've basically been outside playing ever since. It is glorious. The kids are busy, entertained, actually playing nicely together, and SO exhausted by the end of the day, that we don't even have to tell them it's time for bed...they just fall asleep on the couch watching a video. How great is that. Parker especially loves it, because anytime we are outside, his helmet has to come off. Granted, I have to be careful about that, so I think for the rest of the week we'll wait til he takes his big afternoon nap to go outside.

I think I might just survive the summer after all!!!

Palo Verde Ward

2009-06-14T18:41:00.003-07:00

I feel like I am going through a break up of sorts...we just found out today that we are no longer members of the Valencia Ward. We, and a few other families that fall within the new boundry lines, are now members of the Palo Verde Ward. My heart is heavy and sad to think that today was my last Sunday with so many of the wonderful, kind, and caring people that have, over the last year or so, become an exstension of my family. I have had the distinct privelage of serving in the Primary presidency with some truly remarkable women. Allison, Malisa, and especially my dear friend Vicki, have been such inspirations and examples to me of hard work, love, and support. To my other Valencia Ward sisters, most notably Trisha Anderson and Sara Adams, thank you for being my friends. For inviting me to your homes, for being loyal visitors to my blog, and for always having a kind and thoughtful word for me, I will miss you. I will miss seeing your smiles on Sunday, and I will especially miss teaching and loving your children during Primary. I have faith that this split was divinely inspired, but it doesn't stop my heart from wishing it was otherwise. I hope that our friendships may continue, that we can continue to get together, have playdates, and keep updated through our blogs.

Thank you, all of you, for what I have learned from each of you. You are special, you are valued, you are my friends and I love you!

Side show freak

2009-06-10T12:51:00.002-07:00

Last night after Parker's physical therapy, Matthew and I decided to stop for a quick dinner/date on the way home. My mother was watching Aidan and Emma, and since it was a rare treat to have Matthew at PT with me, I thought it a good idea to take advantage of the situation and be spontaneous. However, once we walked into the restaurant, I immediately wished we had gone straight home. Every eye in our proximity was on Parker and his helmet. There were whispers, exchanged looks between patrons, and long, constant stares. Now, I know kids wearing helmets isn't the "norm," but I also didn't think it was so uncommon that people stopped eating their dinners to follow you with their eyes. There was a family across the way from us, a father, son, and a set of grandparents, that made Parker, his helmet, and why he wears it, their dinner conversation. They didn't try and be quiet, in fact, they seemed be trying to be heard. Their conclusion as to why my son was wearing "the apparatus" was because he suffered from shaken baby syndrome and was brain damaged...it was right about then, that I asked for the check, and we promptly left. If I hadn't been so astonished at the gaul of these perfect strangers, and in such shock at their assumption of abuse on our part, I would have marched right over there and given them a piece of my mind. I think Matthew knew what I was thinking, because as we were getting ready to leave, he made sure he had a good hold of me as we made our way out. My impromptu dinner date didn't turn out to be as fun as I thought it would be. I am so glad that Parker had no idea what was going on, and was just his happy, laughing self the whole time.

Helmet Head

2009-06-01T08:17:00.003-07:00

It's official. My kid wears a helmet! I took Parker in on Friday to get his cranial band, and was a little horrified to find out the bears I chose, were a mix of girl bears and boy bears, with mostly girl bears in the front. Matthew says it's not that noticeable, but I still feel bad. I should have just gone with the trucks, cars, and trains like his Daddy wanted. This is what I get for trying to be cute. We got the schedule for acclimating him to the helmet, but unfortunately, on Friday night/Saturday morning, he woke up at 1:00 am screaming bloody murder and didn't stop all night long. I could tell it was a cry of pain, but I thought maybe it was teething. I took his temperature and it was 100.5, not too high, but I took him to the Saturday clinic at the doctors just to be safe. Good thing I did, because not only did he have a pretty bad ear infection, his left ear drum had ruptured. Poor baby. I felt horrible. But at least, once it had ruptured he was in a better mood. Apparently when it ruptures the pressure and pain goes away, too. He is on antibiotics for 10 days and we are resuming the helmet wearing today. They can't wear them when they have a fever because the cranial band increases body temperature on it's own, so any kind of fever and it's off til it goes away. Never a dull day at the Carpenters :)