Girls Weekend!

So I'm first going to say that if I could do my life over again, I would be a dancer. Yes, it's true. I loved to dance when I was a little girl. I made up several dance routines with my sisters and friends. And, unfortunately, there is evidence of it on family video tapes. Good times... Anywho, I've always wanted to take my sisters to go see the Cougarettes perform in concert. I saw them once in concert while a student at BYU and thought they were amazing! Well, my wish came true this last weekend when mom, Kim, Rachel, and I drove to Provo to see the matinee. (Audrey couldn't come because she had an audition she had to go to). We laughed sooo much, mostly thanks to Rachel's hilarious stories and Kim's laughing so hard that her drink poured out of her nose and onto her freshly served crab legs (you might want to ask Kim about that one). So here are some pictures from the weekend. I might also add that Carson and Ben stayed in Cedar City. They had a great time. Unfortunately, dads don't adhere to any kind of nap schedule. So the pictures of Carson are an example of what happens when naptimes are missed.

Pregnant

I'm sitting here looking at my blog thinking, I should post something. But what? The truth is I haven't taken a picture of Carson or anything since Christmas because my camera is broken and I have no idea how to fix it. Then I thought, OH YEAH, I'M PREGNANT! That kind of info is post worthy. I'm due September 3rd. So there you go. And hopefully I'll get my camera working again so I can share some more pics of my cute family.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year Everyone! 2008 has been such a great year for our family. I think that the best thing that happened was when I could finally stay at home with Carson. I love being there for him. I don't want to miss a thing! Ben also finally graduated from UNLV with his bachelors degree in August. He is so amazing and works super hard to spoil Carson and I. He also started his masters program in October and is doing very well. The Lord has played a HUGE hand in our gratitude for this last year. Here are a few wonderful blessings this year has brought us...

We were able to sell the home we built in Cedar City. Ben got a new amazing job with the Raymond Group which without the increase in income, I would probably still be working. We gained a stronger testimony of paying tithing when in one month we had to pay for Ben's masters program and we didn't have the money. That very same month, an unexpected bonus came from work that covered the balance, plus some. The amazing blessing of family. We are so grateful for both Ben's family and mine. They are so supportive and great examples. I have a huge amount of gratitude for my sister Kim. She is a huge blessing in my life. She is my best girlfriend and we have so much fun together. I'm extremely grateful that she loves and spoils my son so much. She comes over almost everyday to spend a few minutes with Carson. Carson loves his aunt Kimmy. Sometimes he even prefers her over me. We were blessed with the return of my brother Mitch from an honorable mission served in Toronto, Canada. He is such a great guy! I've missed him and it is good to have him back again. I have been blessed with wonderful friends in the ward. I LOVE my ward. There are so many great people. I am especially grateful to have so many people close by that I know would be there for me in a heartbeat if our family needed anything. And, lastly, I can't leave out one little man who has blessed our lives in so many ways. Carson is a true joy. He is so sweet, so curious, so loving. He brightens our lives everyday and encourages us to always strive to be better. I so want to be a good mom for him. And it's very obvious that Ben loves being his dad.

Here are a few pictures that Kim took during Christmas. I didn't bring my camera. I took video, but I don't know yet how to put them on the computer.


Carson with some holiday treats.


Mitch and Melissa


Carson got real cowboy boots for Christmas. Too bad we lost a boot four days later.


Waiting for Mitch at the airport.


Family photo.

Update

Here are some random pics from the past few weeks. Also, I thought I should note: Last week I was reading the Dr. Suess's ABC book to Carson and when I said duckdog he repeated me (which he sometimes does not really knowing what he's saying). Well... he kept going back to that page, and pointing at the picture, saying duckdog! I was so proud of him. So to date he says mama, dada, dog (da), and duckdog. Too bad there is no such thing as a duckdog. Hope he's not disappointed when there is no duckdog at the zoo. He also knows what we are saying if we ask "where's the ball", "where's your blankie", or "where's mommie's nose". I'm hoping this is just the beginning. Good job Carson!!

New Friend

So I don't have a picture for this. Maybe later. I'm not sure if my new found friend's parents want his picture on the internet... About a year ago, I received a knock on my door. It was a little boy by the name of Clayton who offered to pick up any trash in my yard for one dollar. I agreed. Almost every week I could count on him coming by. For various reasons... He writes up neighborhood newsletters, him and his buddies develop entire make-believe towns in our park area and have open houses, he is our neighborhood patrol (lets me know of any danger, like a beehive in the park), he puts up lemonade and apple cider stands by the gate, and even reports to me upcoming weather conditions. He is in third grade and is sooo cute. I've enjoyed his visits. Well, last week I was playing games with my family and I invited him in to join us. Previously, he had never been in my home for longer than a few minutes. He stayed for about an hour playing Racko with us. Today, we made snickerdoodle cookies together. He took a plate home to his family and then came back again to play Racko and walk down the street with Carson and I to look at Christmas lights. He assured me tonight that his dad (whom I've never knowingly met) doesn't believe that the cookies that he brought home had been poisoned because he thinks he remembers me from when he built my house (former super for Kimball Hill Homes). He says the funniest things. I told him to remind his dad that HE made the cookies and that it would be silly to poison himself. :) A few other bonuses to my new friend is that he likes playing with Carson, is very well mannered, and quite helpful. I think that every neighborhood needs a little friend like mine. I think that it's sad that kids can't/don't roam around neighborhoods like they used to be able to. I don't know if I'll allow Carson the same liberties. Or if I should? At the same time, with most neighbors keeping to themselves these days, it's nice to have a visitor once in awhile.

Carson's Birthday & Trunk Or Treat

A Very Blessed Idiot!

So who in Las Vegas leaves their purse in an unlocked car? Me, that's who! Not on purpose. I have some mommy memory issues. This is what led up to the unlocked car incident...

Forget missionaries are coming for dinner - check
Run to store for some ingredients - check
Park car in driveway - check
Quickly set groceries on table - check
Take very tired Carson to bed for nap - check
Mommy realizes she has not yet showered...
Shower - check
Realize that you didn't put the groceries away and the ice cream is melting...
Put away groceries - check
Missionaries arriving in less than an hour - check
Completely forgetting to a) take my purse out of the car and b) lock the car!! - Check!!

So, with finding one of our books in the middle of the driveway this morning, we thought, huh, that's weird. Ben's backpack is also missing... weird. What do I do? I kiss Ben, send him to work saying I'll keep my eye out for it. Luckily, I decided to wash the Tahoe that morning and when I opened the drivers side door I found that EVERYTHING was turned inside out. Including my purse with my wallet missing. I was in shock. I felt so violated knowing that a stranger was going through my stuff. I called Ben to tell him that I found out what happened to his backpack. I cancelled my credit cards, closed my checking account, posted a fraud alert with the credit report companies, filed a police report, and yes, posted a sign on our community gate warning my neighbors. And then... I get a call from Cumorah Credit Union. A guy called in saying that he found my wallet in the middle of the street and to call him to get my wallet back. So on cloud nine, I called my new hero. He said to meet him inside a gate next to an empty lot off of Ann and Cheiftan. So, I strapped Carson in the car and was on my way. Driving there I'm thinking, that's a weird set of directions. Why didn't he provide an address? There are not a whole lot of houses over there. Is this the last anyone is going to see of Carson and I???? Alas, a police car straight in front of me and the light ahead was turning red. I rolled down my window, pulled up next to the policeman, then pushed too hard on the brake causing my flip-flop to get stuck. Of course, trying to pull it off makes matters worse and the car starts lurching forward. I immediately forgo saving the flip-flop and secure the brake. With the policeman looking on I quickly tell him my story and ask him to follow me. He agrees. I take him to the location, where, luckily, a very nice man is waiting with my wallet. (He's a pool cleaner and was in the backyard cleaning someones pool). All that was missing from my wallet was the cash and my check book. Yay! It sooo could have been worse.

So the moral of the story is don't leave wallets in unlocked cars, and the Lord will still bless you even if you are the dummy who knew better than to leave a purse in an unlocked car!