White Christmas!!!!

We got a beautiful WHITE Christmas. It was so nice having some snow. Carter and I went out in it and had a blast. He wasn't too sure at first but soon warmed right up and even stuck his face in the snow eating it. He loved it!!!



We actually made a snow man. No pictures of the snow man though. I haven't done that for years. It felt so good to get out and just play. The kid in me came right back out.
We all had a great Christmas visit with my parents and brothers and their families. We missed everyone else but had a nice relaxing time. Carter got spoiled and his uncles really spoiled him by introducing him to PEPSI. Yeah I just about lost it because Carter really likes it, and now recognizes the pepsi can. Not FUNNY at all. I guess it's pay back time.
Well for Brent this year I decided that Santa has so much fun doing surprises for gifts. So I decided to have a couple presents be surprises. I got Les Mis tickets for him and to throw him way off I put it in this HUGE box stuffed it with some little dorky gifts like dry pack food meals, tons of REAL mandarines like the ones from Canada, some pop and then in a little tiny box were the tickets. He thought I was quite stupid at first but when he finally opened the final package he was so excited. Couldn't believe it. We have been wanting to go to Les Mis for quite some time. Carter got lots of presents, a little overwhelming for him, so we are going to wait to take all of them out of their packages and slowly give him one when he gets bored with some of his toys. It's just a little hard having his birthday in December getting lots of toys, then more at Christmas. So we'll space it out a little.
I reallly enjoyed Christmas this year. I was having a little bit of a hard time getting completely in the spirit but once we pulled out our Forgotton Carols CD it totally hit me and helped me to feel the true spirit of CHRISTmas. I am so thankful for Christ and his sacrifice. Anyone who hasn't been to or read or listened to the Forgotton Carols, well you need to it's so good and I can't wait for next year until we get to go to the play. I also had the pleasure of making Christmas bread with my mom. Something that I couldn't stand growing up but now LOVE!!!! It is an ALL DAY process. It has 5 pounds of flour a pound of butter and candied fruit and slivered almonds, golden raisins and it is so yummy. We started at 7 in the morning and started baking it around 9:30 that night. Ya like I said all day. Because it's so heavy it takes quite a while to rise and then you punch it down and let it rise again. Then you braid it and let it rise again. Even though it takes a while it is worth the wait. Carter even helped knead the dough and roll it out to braid his own little piece. He is such a funny little guy. So social and wanting to be right in the middle of doing what we are doing.
Well we hope you all had a great Christmas and wish you all a happy new year!!!!

WELCOME JURNEE

JURNEE LOUISE WYNDER


Born Dec. 21st. We are so excited to have another beautiful little girl in the family. She's got the most gorgeous dark hair. She is so adorable!!! We can't wait to get to Las Vegas and get to see Jurnee. Congratulations to the Wynder family, Jurnee will be so happy to have come to such a great family. We are so happy for you all. We miss you and love you. It is so so so hard to see pictures and see her on ichat and not be able to hold her or smell her. So give her lots of loves for us. We love you.

Surviving this week

Carter thinks he's so big....wanting the phone all the TIME!!!


Seeing the tree really made it feel like Christmas!

My mom's beautiful tree!!!

First of all we had some birthdays this last week. Happy birthday to Ryan (Brent's brother), Ashlyn (my niece), Brylie (Brent's 2nd cousin?) Dalin and Bowen (Carter's little friends)....we love you all and hope that you all had great birthdays. We were able to go to Dalin and Bowen's birthday party and get to see them dig into the cake and make a wonderful mess just like Carter. Took them a little longer but they sure did enjoy it!!!
Well I am in Twin for the week taking care of my mother's daycare while they are in HAWAII!!! Yes I said HAWAII! I talked to her tonight and they are enjoying 85 degree weather and nice walks on the beach. I hope they have a nice relaxing time, they deserve a nice break! I just hope I can hold down the fort here. I got here this evening and walked into a wonderful smell of pine and my mom's christmas tree and decorations are all out and look so beautiful. Her tree is amazing....like a department store tree! I took pictures and they turned out beautiful but of course I can't post them yet since I forgot the cord to transfer my pictures to the computer. Carter amazingly left the tree alone! Only one time did he go over and try to touch it realizing that the branches are prickly so he walked away....so many more EXCITING things to see than the tree. I thought I might get a little weirded out by being here all by myself but it actually feels like home so warm and christmasy I think I'll be okay. (I think....)Thanks mom for making sure the tree was up!!! On Tuesday hopefully I'll get Andrea and Tiana to come stay with me while my brother Terry and his wife Ana take Michaela to get surgery on her leg. Good luck Micky I know it'll be tough being in a wheelchair for christmas just make sure to get a bell to make your lovely two sisters wait on you hand and foot. ( HA HA).
I better go and get some rest my day starts at 7:15 and ends at 6. We'll see just how many little ones I have, maybe this will be the perfect birth control along with being in the nursery to help me realize that one child is okay for now. But it's those little babies that I see and hear and waiting another year or two just seems crazy. Only time will tell. I love you all and I'll post pictures later when I can. So sorry that you just have to read and have no pictures to tell the story. Love to all.
Amber

Birthday Weekend!!!

We threw a birthday party for Carter on Saturday. In Eden's words "its was a great success". Also Happy Birthday to Eden. Her birthday was on Saturday and she was such a trooper for coming over and celebrating Carter's with us. Thanks to everyone for coming you all added LIFE to the party. We are so thankful for your friendships. My dad and I put together a giraffe cake and it turned out much better than I thought it was going to turn out. My first year at doing this and I loved it....now the cakes will just get better from here on out (as long as my dad is there). Carter loved having everyone at our house. He is such a social bug. He absolutely enjoyed digging in his cake. He is such a texture baby that he loved squeezing it in his fingers and playing with it, then of course stuffing his mouth full. What I didn't realize is that the frosting colors (brown and yellow) mixed together make quite the combo. It really looked like Carter had had a major blow out of the diaper. He got some great toys and loves them so much. Again thanks to everyone!!! Now for at least some time who knows how long he is actually entertained with his toys and plays with them staying out of things.
On Sunday it was Brent's birthday and we had a nice dinner and for most of the day relaxed enjoyed my parents company and Brent finished his paper. Poor guy doing homework every night getting ready for finals this week. So we didn't do much for his birthday. Happy Birthday to Bryce too. We hope you had a great one!!! We are thinking about you. Distance is so tough sometimes.
Tonight we are going to treat ourselves to dinner for Brent's birthday and mine, and enjoy some time together as now Brent only has one more final to prepare for. We did of course stick a candle in a cupcake for Brent and me to blow out yesterday and sang to eachother again....I think Carter may think every night at dinner we need to blow out candles. oh well.
Carter is doing really well with napping now and I love it. Today he took a two hour nap this morning and then went back down this afternoon he went down at 3:30 and it's 4:40 still asleep.....what a treat. He's just growing into such a little boy. Well while I have some time I better get started on my Christmas cards. Love to all. I've been thinking and missing everyone who is away.

Our First SNOW!!!

Well yesterday and last night it snowed. It's been freezing cold here making it hard for me to get out and do some running around. Carter was so excited when he saw it snowing outside or maybe he was just excited thinking his dad was coming home. So I bundled him up really tight and took him outside to go check our mail (which is down the street). He loved it. He sat down in it and played with it in his hands. The only thing he wasn't sure about was eating it. Carter has been doing pretty well this week with sleeping. We had to move his mattress out of the crib and onto the floor in our room. He then goes to sleep around 8:30 and wakes up like clockwork at 5 am. He usually goes back to sleep....but not this morning!!! Of course when I have lots to get done we start the morning off way to early and I'm way to grumpy at that hour. He wanted to play and run and got so upset when I shut that down. So I fed him a little cereal bar gave him some milk, he showered with Brent and then told his daddy good bye and then he had no option but to sleep. He only slept for an hour and is ready to go. With my luck he'll fall asleep while I'm trying to run around. We are celebrating Carter's birthday tomorrow. I'm planning on making a big cake but we'll see how it goes. I've got to get some items for it and for our little party so I better get on the run....I still have to get myself ready. I hope you all are doing well. And I'll let you all know how the party goes. I still can't believe he's going to be ONE!!! Some of these pictures are of our venture outside last night and the others are of Carter eating his first candy cane.