HOT DAYS

We are experiencing some high temps here in Southern Alberta! Yesterday was 38C which is close to around 100F. With no airconditioning it really is making this pregnancy way more uncomfortable than I could have imagined!!! I get that closter phobic feeling because I can't escape the heat no matter what I do, and I get that sudden urge to just strip down to my bare nothings but of course I spare everyone the sight and suck it up. But I do have to say even though I'm quite uncomfortable it has been so nice to see family and now that Carter is getting a little more used to it here it's been fun seeing the kids play together and have lots of fun. We had lots of fun at the parade and Carter was so amazed at all the things to see. It was so nice to see everyone and visit!!! On Tuesday we went up to Waterton and had fun up there chasing after kids who wanted to hike up some big hills. Walking around and eating ice cream were also a highlight for us. Carter has absolutely loved his little cousin Berkley who is about 7 months older than him but they got along so well, giving eachother hugs and talking in their own little language. He also loves following around his older cousins and trying to keep up with them.
We've definately got in our fixing for the famous "Chinese Food" yum yum. Unfortunately I'm pregnant and greesy fried food just doesn't help out with the heartburn I was up all night but I guess you could say it was worth it.... it really is so GOOD, and the ginger beef was perfect! Jim introduced me to a great trick for some serious heartburn. A glass of water with a teaspoon of baking soda and it really does work for at least some time.
To everyone who is in the states I hope you guys had a great 4th of July! Well I better get going love to all.

AIRPLANES

Carter and I made the long trek up North. Brent took us to the airport and got a special pass to take us to the gate. It was nice to have him help me right up to the end but it threw Carter for a loop he cried and screamed when we left him at the gate. Carter for the past couple months has been obsessed with airplanes so once we walked on he was very excited and kept saying air-panes air-panes and making flying noises. Once we started taking off he was fine with going fast but as soon as he saw that we were lifting off the ground he flipped out saying "I fall, I fall" and then the tears came for his dad. On our second flight he was very excited and did much better for the take off, he sat in his own seat until we started lifting off the ground and then cuddled right into me and slept for the whole flight.....NICE! We then of course had to go through customs once we got to Calgary I happened to be so lucky to get an overly tired, unhappy lady who was drilling me with questions about when I was due and where the father was and what exactly I was doing up here. She then sent me to the immigration office. (getting me completely worried) Thank goodness I got a nicer gentleman who informed me that my status in Canada was permanent resident and after so many days I would need to make a decision if I was going to come back to Canada or not. So all in all NO BIG DEAL. I then had to get 2 big heavy suitcases off the belt and figure out exactly how to juggle Carter, 2 suitcases a stroller and our 2 carry-on bags to get out of customs and find our way to Helen. What a great sight I'm sure it was as I am HUGE (no lie), but we made it and we're here safe and sound. Carter is even now way obsessed with airplanes and never stops talking about them.
Carter has had a little of a tough time adjusting to so many new faces and places and figuring out what he can play with and can't. Another little heart-breaking story about Carter and his daddy.......
Carter has been missing his daddy and wanting him so bad. Well he thought his wishes came true on Friday night when Bryce and Lyndsi showed up. He was so excited to hear Bryce and see him saying "da da, da da"! Bryce held him and he could tell there was a difference but not quite sure so just continued to think he was his dad. But so hard on a little boy seeing "his DAD" hold, tickle and play with another little boy and walk past him. That night putting him to bed he screamed bloody murder thinking his dad was out there but not laying down with us. Bryce was nice enough to come and read a book with him but didn't do the trick. Many times I'd catch Carter running after Bryce calling "Da Da" but he'd only come to disappointment when he'd never get to him or get his attention. So needless to say Carter and I were so happy to see Brent this morning!
We are enjoying not so extremely hot days and thank goodness it hasn't been too hot otherwise I seriously would melt with no airconditioning. We are quite excited to go to the parade tomorrow and have lots of yummy food (thanks to Helen). We are having fun visiting with family and nieces and nephews. I'll post more pics of the parade and cousins tomorrow. Love to all, and to Sonia, Ryan and boys and Jurnee................WE MISS YOU!!! I MISS YOU, and we love you!!!!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

We are trying out all the flavors of ice cream while trying to make baby headbands








Happy Father's Day to you all out there!!! I love you dad and am so thankful for you!!! You are one amazing person who we look up to so much! Thanks for absolutely EVERYTHING!!! Happy Father's Day to Jim, we love you and miss you and can't wait to see you soon! Thanks for raising up Brent to be a great dad and such a hard worker! You know I become quite the emotional person when it comes to Father's Day! I always think about how influential Dad's are and how they play such a big part in our lives. I truly don't know how I ended up with being raised by such an amazing Father and then to marry into a family with another AMAZING father and now I am seeing first hand my husband grow into one! For all you Father's, honestly you are appreciated more than expressed and we wouldn't live without you!
We had a nice relaxing day. Unfortunately, Sonia, Ryan and the kids left around 12 and we jetted off to church to be in the nursery. I am so READY to be done in there! Then we came home and enjoyed a nice 3 1/2 hour nap all together! We all needed it since we stayed so busy on the weekend and Carter of course, couldn't sleep real well because he was so excited to have Jaxon and Maddux to play with. Every morning Carter would wake up, come out of the room looking for the boys saying "where'd day go?" Running through the house making sure they hadn't left yet and looking out the window to see that their car was still here.
We had a ton of fun with them this weekend! We went to the water park and Carter was so over-tired he hated the water and didn't want to be in it. So we finally got him to sleep and he slept the whole time while we went around to the wave pool and the slides. Jaxon is one brave cookie and went on all the slides he was big enough for. Ryan was able to talk Brent into going on the "BIG HALF PIPE" and being that they are two big guys they had one thrill of a ride!!!
On Saturday we went to Meridian Days (Dairy Days), which is like a little carnival fair type of thing. We actually let Carter go on some of the rides and he loved them! He went with Maddux and then screamed when we went to take him out. So he got some good rides in with Maddux. We enjoyed some nice "fair food".....funnel cake and mini doughnuts. We took the kids to the barn to find that most the animals had gone home except for some cows that weren't fenced in or anything and as we were walking by one big cow we almost got sprayed as it decided to go to the bathroom when we were right behind it. Quite a funny site.
We had Jana and Nate Jacob over for dinner Saturday night and had kabobs and tried out the new grill. It was so nice to get to see family and spend time together. Let the kids eat and play in the backyard and just kick back and visit. Having a big family you grow to enjoy chaos and now that everyone is gone it's a little too quiet and kind of lonely. It was a fast trip for Sonia and Ryan but it was so nice to be able to see them. Jurnee is so dang adorable! A perfect little girl. So dainty and even a little rollie-pollie. Carter absolutely adored her. He was so cute with her. I always got a little nervous as he would get so close and you never know exactly what is going through an 18 month old's little mind. But he did really well, even got her laughing really hard at one point. Thanks Sonia and Ryan for making the long drive and being great company. Too bad we didn't get any cards in. If only Ryan would've somehow become very ill and couldn't travel we could be playing cards right now......I guess we'll save it for next trip. Well I better get going, and play with Carter since his little entertainers are gone. Love to all.

LES MIS......

Before The Play


I couldn't take pictures...common courtesy. So these are taken at the very end (Finale)!



Carter in our motel looking out the window!

This weekend turned out to be a great weekend! The drive to Utah was long and uncomfortable for me.....I think I did worse than Carter but once we got there we had a great time. The play was so good!!! The music and actors were GREAT! The theater that we were in was smaller than the last one and so it made it a little more cozy and there wasn't a bad seat in the theater. We were close to the back but felt like we were right there. I love Les Mis. it actually is quite a sad story but it is so uplifting and makes you realize that people change and to forgive and it's not up to us to judge someone else, just our job to love. And to love another is to see the face of God. So true!
I was a complete nervous wreck to leave Carter, but i did it. He cried and they'd distract him for a while and then he'd get sad again. But overall did really good for being left for almost 6 hours! He woke up when I got there and was very happy to see us and had to give us all loves and then was out. We then went to our motel to only have the long exciting night continue! We got into our room around 1 and of course Carter was awake and there happened to be a soccor team on our floor that was completely wasted and making the loudest noise! We finally called to complain and still nothing happened. Doors were banging, people yelling laughing running sounded like they were pounding on our door. My parents were in a room a few doors down and had the same loud disturbance and were calling. After 3 times of calling and it was now around 3:30-4:00 we heard a whole bunch of them so loud, so Brent got up to look out the peep hole to see most of them with their bags and them leaving. So we finally were able to get some rest around 4. Not to mention that we also had a couple right next to us who were "just married" or acting as if they were just married, and we could hear EVERYTHING very clear!!! I guess if you can't sleep and are awake in the middle of the night you got to make the best out of it and just join in with the noise......ha hah ha.
I was seriously so tired and Carter wakes up around 7:30 no matter what, so when 7:30 hit and Carter started waking up we were so EXHAUSTED! We turned on Cartoons and let him have some snacks while we rested a little longer. We finally got up and got ready to go checkout and complain. Long story short because our rooms were booked through expedia they can't really do anything about giving a refund and so for future reference not a good idea to book rooms through a 3rd party. Instead just call the reservations department of that motel and let them know of the discounted price online and usually they will meet that price.
Anyway, so with no sleep and all of us being so tired, we decided to get on the road. Carter went to sleep making it more of a relaxing trip home. But I think I did way worse than him. My feet and hands started swelling and I felt so weird!!! I now have the problem of swollen ankles, hands and face so I'm trying to drink as much water as possible and walk around and stretch. We had a nice memorial day relaxing at my parents and going to the cemetary.Thanks to everyone for making the weekend great! It was nice to see some family and spend time together!

I am oh so Craving Strawberries!!!

Well today I am just a little tired out. I actually attempted to mow our whole lawn today front and back. Anyone who's seen this lawn knows it's HUGE!!! Carter went down for a nap around noon and I hurried out there to start. He woke up when I was almost finished with the back yard (an hour and half later) and so he came out to watch me and then we ventured into the front yard.....he thought it was free run, what kid wouldn't? So i hurried as fast as I could but the grass was really long and heavy so it was taking a long time so I decided to take Carter in, turn on ELMO, and finish. That worked much better every time I had to bag the grass I just opened the door and pretty soon heard Carter saying, yelling "WHAT" WHAT? and then running to me to let me know he was fine. So I finished and came in decided I better start watering so I went back out and behind me Carter shut the door which happened to be on lock mode. So I went around back and that door was locked too...... WHat do I do. Looking in seeing Carter pulling out juicy fruit gum I tried getting his attention and he came over with handfulls of gum shoving it into his mouth. I realized at that point I couldn't teach him through the door how to unlock it so I tried Carter's window....locked. Then I went around front and tried our window....locked. Went back in back and tried the office room window and thanks to some answered prayer it was unlocked and being that we have nice new windows it was so easy to break in. The screen just slides right over and the window just slides right open. I grabbed a chair and climbed through. I realized just how un-limber I've become. Plus trying to climb into a window with this big stomach isn't so easy!!! But none the less I got in and was so thankful that the window was unlocked.
Now I am just relaxing a bit and wishing so bad that I had some chocolate covered strawberries. Brent got these amazingly delicious chocolate covered strawberries for me for our anniversary. I am just so wishing I had some more. Oh and since I haven't said what we did over our weekend let me fill you in. Brent completely surprised me with taking me out to the Anniversary Inn. My parents were coming to Boise and I just thought we were going to have a nice evening with them I went and rented movies and got stuff for strawberry shortcake (as you can tell I crave strawberries!) Well we went to eat together and then came home to have Brent telling me pack my bag we're leaving. The first time I've ever really left Carter and it was over night. Thank goodness he adores my parents and he was fine as long as he got to cuddle and snuggle and maul my mom all night long. Thanks mom and dad for making it possible to leave.
Anyway, this week Carter has been teething....which means ear infection and diahrrea! So we have been enjoying tons of laundry and tylenol! We leave tomorrow to go to Twin and then head to Utah for Les Mis. We are so excited and I am again extremely nervous to leave Carter with actual sitters. He'll have many of his cousins with him and two of my nieces are older and he adores them so hopefully it won't be to much of a shocker for him! Well before this post gets any longer I better run carter is shoving a book in my face to read! Love to all!

Five YEARS!!!!

Today is our five year anniversary. I can't believe that it has already been five years. It seriously seems like just yesterday. I'm still so crazy about Brent and love him so much! He really is an amazing husband, dad, and person. I feel so blessed. So even though at times I am the typical wife that pushes and pushes (never naggs.....) and gets emotional over some stupid thing ( I swear it's being pregnant) I really do have the best husband of all!!! I look back on that day and though it seems like yesterday I see how much we both have grown (Not just in our pant size ha ha). We actually have been through a lot together and all those harder times have really helped us work together and become closer. Marriage is never easy no matter who you marry but it seriously was the best thing I could have ever done in my life, was to marry Brent. Brent has definately made me become such a better person, I don't know what I'd do with out him. So thanks to his family, friends for raising up such an amazing guy that I get to be with for forever. And to my Brenty, I love you!

The Zoo

Well yesterday we ventured out to the zoo and it was HOT!!!! Carter loved it. He loved getting out and seeing so many people and so many weird animals. Before we left I had packed the car with our bag and snacks and came back to get him realizing that I couldn't find my keys. I just had them where could they have gone????? So I was frantically looking through the house tearing apart drawers and everything thinking that maybe I lost my mind and always misplace things. Carter just stood by the door watching me frantically running around. When I saw him waiting on me I told him that we had to find the keys if we wanted to go. Carter repeats "keys, keys" closes the door and behind the door we have a little hole (that we've tried to patch over but Carter always opens it back up) and there inside this little hole were the keys sticking out. I started laughing so hard! In his little mind he's probably thinking geese mom if you would've asked me in the first place. So we got on our way.
Another quick story about Carter........well I think we've utterly confused our poor little boy. He has started to really call my tummy the baby and give the baby kisses and every day he has to lift my shirt up to say "hi baby"! He's actually become quite possesive of the "baby" (my tummy)! NO ONE can touch my stomach. Over the weekend my nieces wanted to feel the baby and were holding their hands all over my tummy to catch any movement and when Carter caught glimpse of that he ran so fast yelling "NO, NO" taking their hands away and climbing up to put his whole body on my stomach so they couldn't even touch it a little bit. So I've been thinking wow he really understands. What a smart kid I have and yesterday when I was changing his diaper. He lifted up his shirt pointing to his belly saying "baby". I tried to explain mommy has a baby but he just has a belly. Then I saw the confusion on his face. Oh well, he'll really be confused when the baby is out and my tummy goes back to being called tummy or belly

Fun in the Sun

Today we went to a beach.....yes a beach in Boise. It was real sand and lots of fun. The only downfall was goose poop. Carter loved the geese! He wanted to chase them and they aren't too nice especially when they have their little babies close. He loved playing with his little friends in the sand throwing it and squeezing it between their toes and fingers. The water was a little cold but felt great in the heat. Carter took some face dives in it and got mad at the water telling it "no no." But that didn't slow him down at all. We enjoyed our beach day and now I'm quite tired and we are planning to go to the zoo tomorrow to meet my niece Andrea there with her class. It's supposed to be another hot day so hopefully we won't melt walking around! Love to all.

Swim Time!!!

Well this weekend was a great one for us. I had a wonderful Mother's Day and hope you all had the same. Friday evening I helped Brent mow the lawn. We have two mowers and Brent kind of spranged his ankle this past week playing basketball and so I thought I'd help him out. The first time I've ever really even touched a mower or started one and I think I did pretty good. I definately got my workout in the sun. Carter was playing so good and following us around and he even went up the whole ladder on his little play house all by himself as Brent and I watched....me wanting to run over there and stand behind just incase he fell back but brent wouldn't let me. He didn't want Carter to even know we were watching. And so we stood there me on mey tippy toes and heart racing visioning him falling back but much to my amazement he didn't and he had a great time up there playing!!! He thought he was so BIG. Which I thought he was too.
On Saturday I worked at Walgreens leaving the 2 boys to hang out. It was quite a hot day and being that we put fertilizer on the grass Friday night Carter couldn't go out and play on it. So Brent did the next best thing and blew up his little inflatable pool and let him go for a little swim. He loved it. The water was freezing but he didn't seem to mind at all.
When I got off work we drove to Twin for the night and spent Mother's Day with my parents and brothers and their families. It was nice to all be together and Carter got spoiled to death with so much attention. Being that his cousins are all a little older than him, they all help watch him and give him whatever he wants. He thinks he is just as big as they are and they all are so good to include him and watch him while they play. He has finally warmed up to his uncles and he tries to tease them back and get even just to loose the battle to being tickled to death.

Here are a few video of clips of Carter. One is of him talking on the phone to his daddy. He loves talking on the phone!!! We race to get to the phone and he freaks if I don't let him talk. The other is of him and his best friend the dirt.

New Trike

Carter loves looking at himself and seeing his daddy's eye.

Well we got Carter a trike. He's a little small for it but it's nice because it has a detachable bar that we can push and steer him with. So when we go check the mail or go for little walks instead of a stroller we push him on that and try to get him to learn how to pedall. He's mastered geting on and off and ringing his bells and putting things in his little basket in the back. He's getting so big and learning so many things. His vocabulary is growing like crazy.

Brent was gone all weekend for work and so on Tuesday he took the day off, which was so nice and Carter loved every minute being with his dad!!! We again were in the yard most the morning and afternoon. Brent had to mow the lawn that was oh so long and I painted some shutters. So Carter again was left to play in the dirt and sprinkler and get on and off his little trike pushing it around. I actually got some video footage of him dumping dirt down his shirt.

We are thinking of you all and can't wait to see a lot of you in Canada in June/July. I just booked a plane ticket for myself to fly up the end of June. So Carter and I can spend some much needed time with Grandma Helen and Grandpa Jim. Brent will join us for the 1st of July and stay for a few days and we will be staying until July 10th. So it'll be so nice to get to see new nieces and nephews and see everyone. Hopefully I won't be too huge to enjoy things and I really hope that the mosquitoes don't eat us alive.