TOGETHER IS THE BEST PLACE TO BE...

Happy Birthday Bama!

2010-07-05T18:16:00.004-04:00

Here is the birthday message from the kids...

HAPPY...

BIRTHDAY...

BAMA

We love you Bama! Have a great one!

And another group shot of the kiddos...

Our newest family pictures!

2010-07-04T13:39:00.002-04:00

Our little tree huggers...

I fell off the wagon...

2010-05-14T22:02:00.004-04:00

The blogging wagon that is. No excuses, we've been busy and it's just not been a priority. We had a nice vacation when Bugga, Bama and Rosie visited at Easter, Justin celebrated his 33rd Birthday, I've made a few more trips to Phoenix and we've been living our same old boring (but satisfying) life. Here are a few pictures from our trip to the shore. We went to Topsail for Easter weekend. We had a great time and took hundreds of pictures. I don't have the patience to post more so this is jus a sampling. Averie enjoyed walks on the beach and searching for sea-shells. Carson love running on the beach and... well... more running on the beach! I enjoyed relaxing and spending time with Mom, Bama and Rosie. Just took a few days off and actually got a decent weekend (since Christmas he's worked six day weeks and has been putting in very long hours).

So, in the last two months what's happened to my weight loss journey? Still working at it... not as far as I hoped to be, but still making progress. On my last post I was 20lbs down. In the last two months I've fluctuated, not hugely, but I've gained 5lbs. However, I've mixed up my workout routine and have really improved my cardio endurance. Despite my 5lb gain, I still get comments that people are noticing a weight loss. Do I want to lose more and hit that magic number on the scale? Oh yes I do! But am I obsessing about it? No - I feel good!

Love this Carolina weather!

2010-03-10T20:15:00.003-05:00

This post is ironic because today is chilly and rainy. In fact, I play on the Shutterfly softball team and our first game of the season was scheduled for today but cancelled due to rain. Oh well...

We have had two beautiful weekends in a row. We have taken full advantage and made trips to the park. Here are some pictures of the kids enjoying the playground!

Short and (bitter)sweet

2010-03-10T20:12:00.002-05:00

This week's weight loss update... none... in fact, a gain of 2lbs. But measurements are slightly lower (and by slightly, I mean fractions of inches). I have really upped my workout and I'm feeling good. No weight loss this week, but it will come!

Bye bye hcg...

2010-02-28T09:23:00.003-05:00

I've had great success with the hcg, but my heart's just not in it. It's been 21 days and technically I should go another 5 at minimum to correctly complete phase 1, but I'm having a hard time. Physically, I'm not hungry, but mentally I'm struggling. I want to eat things like yogurt and peanut butter! I'm going to try to keep to the next phase of the protocol, but I'm going to make my own little modifications by taking more of a low carb approach (similar to Southbeach, but still keeping an eye on my caloric intake) - let's hope it doesn't backfire.

By the way, in my last post I was on the search for Walden Farms products... yuck! The two types of jam that I have taste unnatural. I bought the mayonnaise - if you can call it that - I would never put that stuff on a sandwich or anything that you normally put mayo on! However, it works OK if you mix it to make a sauce. For example, I used it to make a coleslaw dressing and my coleslaw is not too shabby. I did have to overcompensate for the poor mayo with vinegar... it works. If you're really watching calories / fat / carbs hardcore you could make it work, but I say don't bother.

This week's total: Down 3.8lbs
Running total: 20.2lbs

I'm pleased with my progress! This week I'm going to step up my workouts. My ultimate goal is to lose another 15 - 20 lbs by my birthday (3 months).

This week's progress (yes, I said progress!)

2010-02-21T10:35:00.003-05:00

I managed a four day trip to Phoenix this week. Since this wasn't a "customer" trip with social obligations, it was easy to avoid unhealthy dinners. My first night there I grabbed a salad at an eatery in the hotel. They did not offer any low cal / healthy dressing recipes nor did they have any lemon so I ate a very plain salad with unseasoned chicken. Salt and pepper did very little to make it appetizing, but it filled my tummy so I ate it and headed to my room to eat an apple which was a great dessert considering the bland dinner I had just eaten. Each night after, I went out with co-workers, but I chose sensible meals and asked for variations (replace dressing with vinegar or lemon, steamed veggies instead of sauted, etc...).

I've been doing well and lost weight through the course of the week. But, this morning I was up 1.3lbs. At first sight of the number I was horrified - it doesn't take much to discourage me and I have to admit, I was pissed! My first instinct was to run downstairs and raid the "locked backpack", but I took a few minutes to think sensibly and am back on track mentally.

This week's total (including my slight gain) is...

Down 3.4lbs!!!!!
Running total = 16.4lbs

I also started taking my measurements two weeks ago. My running total since starting to track is -10.5".

Sparkpeople is still the most helpful tool. I joined an HCG Group and have been pleased with the motivation and suggestions found there. This week I am excited to buy Walden Farms Products. Walden Farms offers zero calorie, fat, carb products. I'm leary about how good these will taste, but am open to trying (stay tuned for my review).

My weight loss has made it evident that I need to lose more than originally thought AND firm up through weight training. Yes, my clothes fit better and I feel better, but when undressed, I look in the mirror and think, "Shouldn't I look better than this?". The last time I was in this weight range I was comfortably wearing a whole size smaller than I am now. Of course, the last time I was at this weight was before Carson was born and pregnancy (especially the second) certainly did a number on my body! Luckily I have no delusions of my body type and don't aspire to look great in a bikini. I'll settle for looking great (no muffin top) in a nice pair of jeans and not having to hold in the inevitable roll that occurs when sitting.

One more week down!

Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T11:16:00.005-05:00

The other day we came home to a big Valentine's Day package from Bugga, Bama and Rosie. Averie was so excited to open it. Inside were many fun surprises! Bugga and Rosie sent Averie a red suitcase... she is now looking forward to using it when we go on "bay-cation". Carson's gift was a cute outfit with a red shirt that he wore for Valentines day... he was very festive. Bama sent Averie fairy flannel sheets which match her bedding exactly, but are much warmer. There were also lot's of diet wrecking treats. We've locked them up (literally) and I'm looking forward to enjoying them (sensibly, of course) when I ease treats back into my diet.

Thanks for the fun package Bugga, Bama and Rosie!!!!

Yesterday we got a package from Grandpa and Grandma Johnson with yummy treats. The kids immediately dove in! Included was one of Averie's favorites - Lik-a-stiks! They both loved their treats and walked around with colored lips and tongues (Averie's green and Carson's red) all afternoon.

Thanks for the treats Grandpa and Grandma Johnson!!!!

Averie and Carson really loved playing in the new, red suitcase and I couldn't resist a good photo opportunity! She's looking forward to her first chance to use it at Easter when Bugga, Bama and Rosie visit us and we get to spend some time at the beach!!!

This picture is from a few weeks ago. We have a membership at Discovery Place, a children's museum uptown. There are so many fun hands-on activities for the kids. I thought this picture was a good representation of Carson's toughness. This was an activity where the child uses a rope attached to pullys to lift their own body weight. There were three levels and this happened to be the hardest. Carson needed help hoisting his weight, but then he could hold himself up. That's my boy!

Weight Loss Journey... back on track.

2010-02-14T10:53:00.003-05:00

Last week I started the HCG Protocol... some of you may be skeptical (I was too), but I researched quite a bit and figured I have nothing to lose... oh yeah... I have lots too lose... lbs that is! I set the Monday after the Superbowl as my start date. Knowing I would be starting this soon, I succumbed to my food weaknesses the week before. Sunday I went really crazy! Not surprising, I gained 2lbs - so this means a total gain of 5lbs to offset my initial 9lb loss. Still, my running total is down 4lbs. This week I've been very dedicated and it's paid off... 9lbs! I'm sure much of this is water weight, but I can feel a difference in my clothes and my wedding ring is not feeling so snug!

This puts my running total since January 4th at - 13lbs!

I have another trip to Phoenix this week so I have a challenging week ahead, but I'm feeling dedicated. I dont' have a fridge in my hotel room, so I plan to stock the fridge at work with my food essentials so I don't feel the need to eat out. Luckily the hotel has a nice fitness center and all rooms have digital scales so I can keep track of my progress. Wish me luck!

Proud Mama!

2010-02-05T19:23:00.003-05:00

AVERIE:
Yesterday Averie brought home her report card. In Kindergarten they don't grade A, B, C, D, F - they grade on a scale of 1 - 3 (1 = Does not meet expectations, 2 = Inconsistently meets and 3 = Consistently meets) for a series of subjects and characteristics. This is the second quarter in a row that she has brought home ALL 3's plus a note from her teacher commenting on her "excellent attitiute toward school". Additionally, she's in their Advanced Reading program and has scored 100% on all of her AR tests. Last week (entirely on her own) she wrote a story to narrate pictures in one of her princess coloring books. She's so excited about practicing reading. Just tonight we had the Disney channel on in the background but none of us were watching. Justin told her was going to turn it off and she said, (and I quote) "That's fine, because I need to practice my reading for when I'm bigger.... Mmmmm Hmmmm." (That last part was drug out and accompanied by a very sassy head shake.)

CARSON:
A few weeks ago Carson moved up to a new Toddler class. In this class they do not wear diapers or pull-ups (except for nap time). He is excited to wear underwear and loves the fun characters on them (Sesame Street and Cars). He has been doing super well! I must admit, I really didn't think he was ready. Perhaps that was bit of denial on my part because he's my baby and I don't want him to grow up too fast (even if it does mean yucky diapers). But, sure enough, he's been potty training very well.

Carson also said his name for the first time (Yes, he's two and we've never heard him say it.)! He loves to point at pictures of his brother (Camen) and sister (Avi), but until now, when he'd point at pictures of himself he'd say "baby". Even when I'd point to him and say "Carson", he would repeat "baby". We called Rosie and Bugga last week and he told them that it was "Cah-sun". Justin and I were so excited!

How Motherhood has changed me.

2010-02-02T20:36:00.003-05:00

A few weekends ago I was trying to figure out an activity for the kids to keep them out of my hair while I cleaned the house. They helped pick up toys and did chores fitting for their age, but I still needed space. Averie is quite content to park her butt in a chair front of the TV and zone out to Disney Channel... Carson will do no such thing (nor do I want him to). Regardless of Averie's willingness I still feel guilty letting her watch so much TV. So, I pulled up two stools to the kitchen sink, filled each side of the sink with soapy, bubbly water and threw in some kitchen gadgets. The kids were delighted to splash and play in the sink and it certainly kept them busy. It made me think back to the first time I'd heard of this idea. Years ago, before Averie and Carson were born a friend told me about some of the ways her friend kept her kids occupied - one of these ways was to fill the kitchen sink and let them slosh around. I was appalled! Surely there are better ways to keep your children busy... doesn't this just cause more work for the parent to have to clean the inevitable bubbles and change soggy clothes??? Oh, how things have changed since having kids! This made me think of the many ways Motherhood has changed me and I thought it would be fun to share just some of the ways (in no particular order).

Unconditional love.
Fierce Mama Bear instincts.
Fingerprints on everything and no burning drive to clean them immediately.
Letting my kids "cook" with me by giving them a bowl of flour to "stir" and not caring at all when half the kitchen is covered in flour.
Becoming "that" Mom in the grocery store who gives in to their whiny child just to get them to be quiet.
Allowing my kids (particularly Averie) to watch more than the recommended 30 minutes (or less) of TV per day - and on a really bad day letting her watch for hours on end in her jammies.
Ability to do almost anything with a squiggly baby or toddler or child in my arms or on my lap (doing it now).
Not batting an eye when my kids drop food on the floor then pick it up and eat it.
Ability to love, kiss and snuggle a snotty, stinky, dirty child without any hesitation.
Having the "worst day ever" melt away when I'm greeted at the door with the most innocent, happy children who are thrilled beyond words to see me.
Bursting with joy when my child says, reads or learns something new and bragging that my child is the "smartest kid ever".
Daily trial of patience.

My kids are my pride and joy. Every night before I go to bed I marvel at how much I love them and pray that God will watch over them. They test my patience daily and they make me the best mother I can be!

Minor setback?

2010-02-02T20:27:00.002-05:00

Yes, I'm late with my "weekly update". Could it be because I don't really feel motivated to admit that I've gained 3 pounds? Absolutely. However, I am NOT discouraged! I was sick last week and hardly excercised. I didn't eat super well (though I didn't do anything to be ashamed of either!). In the whole scheme of things I'm still down from the original #, excercising again and as motivated as ever!

Last week at work we started our "Gettin thin in 2010" weight loss competition. We are in teams of four and my team rocks! The team aspect is really motivating because none of us want to let the others down. Not only do we want to win bragging rights, but there's a hefty pot ($$$$) that the winners get to split. The competition lasts for 14 weeks so I have plenty of time!

Here's to another week!

Business trip... considered a success!

2010-01-23T19:48:00.002-05:00

This week I had to be in Detroit for a customer visit and in Phoenix for training and meetings. I left on Sunday with the sole intention to maintain my weight. I knew that traveling would prove to be a challenge to my diet. I armed myself with healthy snacks and packed my workout clothes.

Challenge #1 - No routine. Being at an airport or on a plane at meal-time... snacking healthily, but never eating an actual meal, then arriving at my destination famished.

Challenge #2 - Business dinners where appetizers, unhealthy meals and desserts are typical.

Luckily, I could log-in to Sparkpeople.com daily which helped me to keep track of what I ate and let me monitor when I needed to be cautious. My hotel and a nice fitness center so I was able to work out daily. I chose lighter appetizers, loaded on vegetables for dinner (I did splurge one night on a steak) and passed on dessert. Ironically, trudging through airports carrying luggage burned extra calories.

So where do I stand after my week on the road? Drum roll please....

2lbs LOST! (Running total 9lbs)

Spark People

2010-01-16T12:23:00.004-05:00

This year I have jumped on the resoultion band-wagon and have resolved to lose weight in 2010. Since having Carson I have been up and down (though never as down as I'd like). With a little inspiration from a friend at work and a strong desire to wear jeans without a muffin top I began eating well on January 4th and working out just this week. In order to not fall off the wagon I am going to apply a little pressure by chronicling my success via our blog (apologies to those who don't want read about this... skip it if you like). The best tool so far has been the website http://www.sparkpeople.com/ where I track my nutrition, excercise, goals and progress. I would highly recommend Spark People even if you don't need to lose any weight.

Two weeks into it = 7lb lost! YAY!

This week I will be traveling on business which equates to business dinners and eating out. It will be challenging, but I'm feeling strong!!!! Stay tuned to see how I do...

What a fitting before picture! Sure, it doesn't show a full body shot, but the double chin and food in hand are enough!

Happy Day... Happy Day... Happy Day!

2009-12-24T08:57:00.004-05:00

Last weekend we celebrated Carson's birthday. Our little man turned two! We started by brinking cupcakes to his class on Friday. On Saturday he went to a birthday party for his friend. Even though it wasn't his party he had fun. Saturday we had our family party. I made a "Sunshine cake" (that's the real name of the cake - I found it on allrecipes.com) because he is our sunshine. He loved his present, a singing Elmo and walked around with it all night. Every time Elmo stopped singing Carson would look at us and say "again?" and start it all over again. The next day we remembered that Bugga had sent a gift, but we had put it under the tree so we forgot to open it on Saturday. So, Carson woke up on Sunday to another gift! What a surprise! It was a remote controlled car and he (and Averie) loves it!

He especially loved it when we sang him Happy Birthday. Every once in a while I catch him singing "Happy Day... Happy Day.... Happy Day" it's so stinking cute!!!!

Family Pictures

2009-12-05T08:46:00.005-05:00

Last month Shutterfly held an event where customers and employees could sign up for a photo shoot. They had six photographers and held it at Freedom Park. It's been a long time since we've had family pictures. I was sad that Cameron couldn't be here to complete our pictures, but they still turned out well.

Bow-chick-a-wow-wow party (it's not what you think!)

2009-11-18T19:39:00.004-05:00

A couple of days ago Averie brought a flyer home from her school listing out the Thanksgiving activities they will be having next week and asking for food and craft donations as well as volunteers. I read through it and made a mental note to buy some food items to donate. Later that evening Averie excitedly reminded me that she needs to bring food for her Thanksgiving, "Bow-chick-a-wow-wow" party. HUH? Her what?!?!? Then I looked more closely at the flyer... Ahhhhh... Her Thanksgiving "Pow-Wow". I'm not really sure where she got "Bow-chick-a-wow-wow" I just hope people don't get the wrong idea. I can just imagine the raised eyebrows!

Blue Ridge Parkway

2009-11-08T19:51:00.004-05:00

Today we went for a drive to and along Blue Ridge Parkway. This was our first taste of "real" mountains since leaving the west and we had a wonderful time. Unfortunately we missed the peak of fall colors, but the scenery was still beautiful. Despite a beautiful forecast in Charlotte, we expected chilly weather in the higher elevations so we dressed warmly and packed mittens, hats and coats. As you can see in the pictures it was a beautiful day. The temperatures were in the mid-seventies so we were slightly over dressed. We made stops at Blowing Rock, Moses H. Cone Memorial House and a small ski resort. We had a great time hiking and Averie was more than happy to pose for MANY pictures!

The Pledge of Allegiance

2009-11-05T17:55:00.003-05:00

This video is a bit old, but we are so proud of Averie. Since beginning school she has learned the pledge of allegiance.

Halloween Activities

2009-11-01T18:19:00.008-05:00

We kicked off Halloween weekend on Friday at the kid's daycare with Trunk-or-Treat. I took a half day off work and volunteered. I decorated my trunk and dressed up as a witch. It was so much fun! The kids were all so cute! They came out class by class starting with the youngest and circled around the drive-way. Afterwards the kids had class parties with treats and snacks. Carson's class loved my hat and and enjoyed playing in the tulle layers of my tu-tu.

Saturday we woke up and Averie asked for a "Halloween Breakfast" so we made orange pancakes in the shape of pumpkins. Later that afternoon we carved pumpkins. Averie asked for a princess pumpkin so Justin carved just that... "Princess" into her pumpkin. I have absolutely no patience for intricate details so I carved Carson's pumpkin with pretty basic triangle shapes. As the evening neared we dressed up. Averie as a fairy princess, Carson as a biker, Justin as a mechanic and I as a witch. We went outside to turn on our lights and light the pumpkins. It started to sprinkle lightly, we figured we would wait it out then it started to rain pretty hard. Averie and I were very discouraged, but after about an hour it stopped and we went trick-or-treating. The kids had so much fun! Carson was a trooper and hauled his heavy pumpkin around, walking by his self until the last few minutes as we made our way home. We had such a good time!

At the end of the night I went outside to get a few more pictures then to turn off the lights and blow out the candles. When I turned around I saw the kids peaking out the window at me.

We had such a good time. We thought the kids would fall asleep right away after all of the walking. Carson was a little too sugared up, but he eventually fell asleep (in our bed, of course). We had a rude awakening in the middle of the night when Carson threw up... Too much candy. We put him in the tub and changed the sheets. We took his temperature and he was fine so we layed him down on a towel and went back to sleep... Only to have him throw up again (this time the towel caught it). Back to the tub. He fell right back to sleep and woke up fine. Next Halloween, we won't let him have so much sugar!

Averie's Princess and Knight Party!

2009-10-17T08:39:00.013-04:00

Last Saturday we had Averie's Birthday party. It was a great party and she played the part of princess very well. I love playing hostess so this was a good opportunity for me to "play" too! Of course we wanted it to be fun and kid friendly, but I also wanted it to be a bit elegant. We ordered personalized invitations from Shutterfly. They were PERFECT!

Averie has MANY princess outfits, but she wanted to wear her ballet outfit. We quickly modified it by adding the long, tulle skirt.

I debated whether to buy or make the cake. There is a great little bakery near-by that makes delicious cakes. I decided to save some money by making it myself. My plan was to make a layered butter cake from scratch. I made the cake and let it cool, then when I attempted to put the top layer on, it fell apart. It wasn't really salvageable so I quickly made the top layer from a box mix. Rather than an elaborately decorated cake, we went simple and I think it turned out rather well.

Averie admiring her cake. She LOVED the tiara on top!

Decorating was really easy. I bought plastic table clothes from the dollar store, cut each into three strips and draped them from the light fixture. We made tissue paper pom-poms to hang in the center. Averie had fun sprinkling confetti all over the table (which, by the way, ended up all over and I'm still finding pieces a week later). I took this picture rather hastily. The kids were just starting to arrive and I wanted to get a "before" picture.

Justin did a wonderful job of arranging the Knight's chest armor and swords and the Princess tiaras and wands. Averie watched out the window as her first guests arrived.

Carson loved it too!

As each guest arrived I took a picture of them with their Princess or Knight accecories. As we waited for all of the guests to arrive the kids watched "Enchanted". We then played a game of Memory. I had photos of like items printed and we placed them face down on the ottoman just like a Memory game. The goal was to match various Disney Princesses to their Princes and match other royal items like crowns, thrones, swords, shields, etc...

After two games of Memory we had a treasure hunt. At the end of the hunt the kids found the treasure but it was guarded by a dragon (pinata). They had to "slay" the dragon before they could reach the treasure.

After the pinata we had cake then Averie opened her gifts. Since the party was after lunch, we had snacks (punch, apple slices, chips and dip, carrots and cheese) and, of course, candy and more treats.

While we wrapped up and waited for parents to pick up the kids there was a lot of sword fighting and the poor dragon was torn to pieces!

I found this cute idea online... marshmallow lollipops (marshmallow dipped into white dipping chocolate and decorated with sprinkles), they were pretty but not a big hit with the kids. I, on the other hand, LOVED them... very addicting!

The "after" mess. Pictures don't do it justice. The floor was sticky from spilled punch, confetti all over and black pieces of tissue from the pinata ALL over the living room! It was well worth it!

For Thank You notes we ordered stationery to match the invitations. We printed a picture of each of the children to include with the thank you note. We had so much fun!

Snuggie

2009-10-06T20:16:00.005-04:00

A couple of friends at work and I like to tease about silly inventions "as seen on TV". The Snuggie is definitely one of them. So for my birthday a few months ago, one of my co-workers (who has since moved out of state) gave me a Snuggie. It has stayed in the original box until last week. We decided to make our own poster (through www.Shutterfly.com of course). We took random pictures around the office to show how "convenient" the Snuggie really is. Needless to say we got quite a few chuckles during our photo shoot. We are going to print it and send it to our friend who has moved just as a reminder of the fun times we've had at work.

On to serious things... Carson had another asthma flare up this weekend. This is the second in less than a month. We have been consistent with his preventative medication and his allergy medication so it's especially concerning that he's still having trouble. I took work off yesterday and took him to the doctor for a check up. We'll up his medication this week and he has a follow up on Friday. Since we're heading into "sick" season these flare ups are not too uncommon. Fortunately, Carson doesn't seem to be terribly affected by this... he is as energetic as ever and doesn't let it stop him. While at the Pediatrician's office Carson got a flu shot. He didn't even flinch and I wonder if he even noticed that he got a shot. After his appointment he and I had a wonderful afternoon of one on one time. Later that evening he discovered the bright orange band-aid from his shot and spent a good thirty minutes playing with it. If I had known all it took to keep him occupied was a used, bright orange band-aid, I would have bought a case six months ago!

The countdown is on for Averie's sixth birthday party. It is this Saturday and the theme is "Princesses and Knights". Stay tuned for pictures.

Back to School

2009-09-25T22:43:00.004-04:00

Here are the long awaited pictures of Averie's first day of school! She goes to RiverGate Elementary. It's a brand new school very nice. She was so excited.

We did have a little miss-understanding... The Kindergarten students started on a staggered schedule where students with last names A - G start on day 1, H - N on day 2 and O - Z on day 3. Then they all take that Friday off and all return the following Monday. I did not understand this schedule meant that the kids went ONLY on the day of their alphabet then had a few days off before returning (which, by the way, I think is stupid... but that's just my opinion and I'll shut my pie-hole). Anyway, I took Averie on her "2nd Day". See how excited she was!

But, when I got there we walked in and amidst the chaos I asked one of the teachers where Averie needed to go. She looked down at her list and said "Ohhhh... She's not supposed to be here today." Then she explained the schedule. Poor Averie was devastated... I was pissed. We made the walk of shame back to the car. It was hot and muggy, I was toting a 25 lb, wiggling, toddler on my hip and Averie was fighting back tears. I was livid... However, I must be the dummy because it seems all the other parents got it. As we walked back to the car Averie said "I guess I only get to go to Kindergarten one day." This poor little child thought she didn't get to go back at all! I explained the schedule to her and apologized (after all we could have avoided this all had I paid better attention to the instructions). Then when we got to daycare I saw a photo op...

At the time I was heartbroken for her. Now looking back we can laugh. Plus I think it's a bit funny to see the before (diva) and after (sad) pictures.

One of her class' first projects was to make a book. Each student drew a picture which made a page of the book. In addition to her page, Averie was picked to draw the cover picture!

Here's a funny picture of our Diva!

And now on to our silly little boy.

I just love this picture! He'd just had a bath and we were playing on the bed. I think his look is priceless. I'm sure he'll give me this look MANY times in his life. Notice the buzzed hair-cut. This boys hair grows like crazy. This was his second buzz.

I have so many pictures of him in his highchair (and shirtless). This is just a few weeks later. We buzzed the sides of his hair to give him somewhat of a mohawk.

Poor Carson had an asthma attack last weekend. I don't know what set it off, but his breathing was very quick, short and shallow. Luckily, he reacted well to his breathing treatment. He has regular breathing treatments using a preventative medication, but we had to also give him his rescue medication. He doesn't like the mask, but he tolerates it. Sometimes he tries to secretly slide it off; he slowly pulls on it until it's at his chin.

The Mohawk! This is the most recent haircut. Look how long the hair on top is! This is the most fitting haircut... it's so rough and masculine and that's just what Carson is... he's a rough little boy.

DOES ANYBODY READ THIS?

2009-09-16T22:16:00.002-04:00

I feel guilty that I don't keep up on our blog regularly. I try, but with our crazy, busy lives it's difficult. I'm beginning to wonder if people read this. At least I feel as though it takes the place of a journal, which I don't even bother with because, well, seriously... I can't keep up with a blog and I'm at a computer 60% of my day.

If you do still view our blog and are up to it, send us a message.

Pictures to come...

2009-09-13T19:57:00.003-04:00

Yes, all of my recent pictures are trapped in my digital camera! I'll download them soon. In the mean-time here's what is happening in our little world.

AVERIE started Kindergarten. She is really enjoying it and I know she'll do well. When I drive away each morning after I drop her off, I always look back at her walking up to the building and she looks so small. She's enjoying making new friends and LOVES to ride the Tutor Time bus back to daycare. We are now planning for her "Princess and Knights" birthday party in a month.

CARSON moved up to the Toddler class at daycare and he is working on potty training. He's doing well. If he feels the urge to go potty he tells us "poop"... he doesn't quite understand the concept of 1 and 2... it's just all "poop". He's a little bam-bam. The other night we were watching TV and he climbed up to Averie and head butt her. I heard the thud from across the room and of course, Averie yelped in pain, but he wasn't even phased. He can be sooo difficult one minute and the next soooo sweet. Case in point, just a couple hours before the head butting incident, while riding the carousel at Carowinds, he reached over, gave me the most wonderful hug and said "Happy".

ME - Work has been crazy busy. We have a big project that just wrapped up today (yay!) and I've been working long hours. Today was the first day in over two weeks that I haven't gone into the office. It's been wonderful! Averie and I worked on her school project and we haven't left the house... relaxing.

JUSTIN had hernia surgery late last week. It went well and he is now recovering. He can't lift anything over 20lbs. Luckily, Carson is a climber so Justin doesn't have to worry about lifting him. Justin has a follow up consult this Thursday and hopefully his Dr will release him back to work.

Seems like so much more is going on - our lives are non-stop.

I promise to post pictures very soon.

Shutterfly Family Picnic

2009-08-19T22:14:00.002-04:00

I should either be working or in bed (not blogging), so this will be short. I'll post more detail and more pictures later...

Last Saturday was the Shutterfly family picnic. It was a blast! It was held at a Charlotte Knights (minor league) baseball game. We had a pre-game tailgating party where the kids received plastic baseballs and bats. Carson had fun wandering free and Averie enjoyed playing baseball. She picked it up very well and had many good hits.

These pictures are from my friend Nancy. When I upload the pictures from my camera I'll post with more detail.

School Supplies

2009-08-12T21:41:00.002-04:00

Averie starts Kindergarten in less than two weeks. I haven't seen her so excited about something in a long time. This past weekend was "tax free" weekend. Most supplies, clothes and back to school products were tax free. We took this opportunity to buy school supplies. I went online to get the supply list... holy crap! It's a long list! Don't get me wrong, I am happy to support the school system, but it was kind of a rude awakening. Oh well, in the over all scheme of things it wasn't too bad. I'm just glad we don't have 10 kids! The most exciting purchase? A Selena Gomez (i.e. Wizards of Waverly Place star) backpack. It's a little chintzy, I was hoping to buy a cute, nicely-made backpack, but she was so set on it that I gave in (on the plus side, it was cheap!).

Each night she and Justin have a bed-time routine, Justin reads or tells her a story. On occasion, I will tell her a story and she is not remotely shy about expressing her dissapointment that it's not Daddy. Anyway, the past few nights Justin has been focusing on her reading skills. She is doing so well! Her most recent two words are fox and box.

The countdown is on... I'm so proud of my little girl.

Another week... another post! I'm on a roll!

2009-08-02T20:35:00.008-04:00

I've finally uploaded pictures from our camera so this post goes back a couple of months. (Most recent pictures are first.)

The kids enjoyed playing in the driveway tonight. Note Carson's 2nd haircut, we wanted to keep the mohawk, but with a squirming 1 1/2 year old, it's easy to take too much off... oh well, another buzz cut!

We told Averie we would buy her a bigger, Hannah Montana bike, when she mastered riding. She's doing very well!

Carson's been getting into trouble. Today he got a hold of one of Averie's markers and decided to decorate the back hallway including the door to the garage and the downstairs bathroom. He wasn't happy that I posed him in front of the evidence.

Carson has not been taking a binky for over a month now. He's done very well, but occasionally we can tell he misses it. When he gets really upset he puts his hands in his mouth and sucks them. Well, today he found this novelty binky. He never liked this one because of it's shape, but I guess it's better than nothing! He was quite pleased with himself and sucked this binky for a while. We finally had to take it away from him. (P.S. In case you can't read it, the wording on the binky says "Mute Button".)

Earlier today Averie freaked out when she saw him with this binky because "He's too big for it". Justin and I assured her that Carson never liked this binky and she has nothing to worry about. Can you see the "I told you so" in her eyes? I think I can!

A couple of weeks ago, I was trying to get a number of things done around the house. I thought it would be fun (and keep the kids occupied) if I let them paint with pudding. I whipped up a batch of instant pudding, added some green food coloring and layed down huge sheets of paper on the table. I figured it would keep them busy for a good 30 minutes or more. WRONG! 10 minutes later the kids were bored. At least it was a good photo op.

After the pudding painting, I let the kids play with the hose in the yard. This kept them better occupied, but it was a constant fight about whose turn it was to hold the hose.

This is my little diva. She did her hair by herself and was so proud.

OK... not the most flattering picture of me, but oh so cute! We were a sleepy pair.

In June, Averie graduated from pre-school. Tutor Time had a nice little ceremony. Justin and I took off work early to attend. As dorky as it was, I teared up... how is my "baby" so old?

New sunglasses for Averie and Carson.

Before the haircut.

After the haircut.

That's my boy!

We thought this was a good photo op. This was taken at Bubba's BBQ. These pigs are staged in front of the restaurant and we thought it was a bit funny to see the cop car in the background.

I'm early!

2009-07-28T20:36:00.006-04:00

Since I typically lag a month or two between posts most of you will be surprised that it's been a mere week! Many of you may not even check our blog until some-time mid August only to find that you're behind on our blog, not me!

Anywho...

We just returned from a busy weekend in PA. As most of you know, we STILL haven't sold our house in Marietta. We have taken it off the market and have listed it for rent. Our property management company seems to think it will rent pretty easily, but it needed a fresh coat of paint in the living room and a water-proof seal in the basement. I got some quotes for painting... yikes - $$$$! So we decided why not make a trip and get the house-work done and visit with friends? This was my grand idea... one day doing home improvements and the remaining three chillin with the McBrides. Justin knew better but he let me dream. Friday, Jeanette watched the kids while we taped, painted trim and pretty much prepped the living room... there goes my one-day theory. Saturday, Justin painted while I put a coat of sealant in the basement. Sunday, Justin continued painting while I put a second coat of sealant in the basement. We left Monday morning feeling pretty good about what we accomplished. And, it wasn't all work (well, maybe it was for Justin) we got some other things in.

Friday night we went to dinner with my friends Jeanette and Lisa and their kids. It was fun to catch up with them, but Carson was terrible! He knows just which buttons of mine to push and it made for a stressful evening. Averie loved playing with Molly and Tyler then enjoyed a sleepover with Molly.

Saturday, Averie went swimming with Molly. Then the kids and I went to a 24th of July picnic with our old ward. It was great to see our Lancaster 2nd friends. Averie and Carson played to their little heart's content!

Sunday, the kids and I went to church. Again, Carson pushed my buttons and we spent sacrament meeting in the foyer, but he did well in nursery so I had a bit of a break. Then Sunday evening we spent some time with our friend's the Allens and later with the McBrides. At least Justin got to join us Sunday night!

I brought the camera, but didn't take many pictures (I stole the picture of Averie and Tyler from Lisa's Facebook!). Out of the whole weekend, the pictures we took were from Justin's phone on the ride home... I know, we're wierdos!

This trip was bittersweet for me. It is probably the last time we will stay in our PA house. However, next time we can focus on playing!

Averie and Tyler under the table at dinner.

Whose great idea was it to give this boy chocolate? (OK... it was me... it was a long drive and I was ready to give him anything just to keep him happy)

Averie and Sadie...

Taking a break from her movie to pose.

Justin played with the camera while we all took a nap. Glad he at least kept one eye on the road and got us home safely!

Despite the cramped quarters, Sadie had a good trip.

Summertime...

2009-07-17T21:53:00.003-04:00

As you can probably tell by the re-design of our blog... I'm totally in a summery mood! It's hard to get into the swing of summer when you work full-time, but we try to take full advantage of the weekends.

If you're anything like me, you may skim through the text on a blog and look for the pictures. For those of you, I apologize, this blog is heavy on the text. I haven't taken many recent pictures. The few I have taken are still locked away in the camera waiting patiently for me to upload them. Until then, this post contains one, ugly, lonely, grainy picture (thanks to Justin's phone). We had a run-in with wire cutters. Carson got a hold of them and when Justin tried to take them away, Carson clamped Justin's finger. The result... a frantic call from Averie, "Mommy, come home VERY quickly!", four hours in urgent care, and four stitches. As badly as I felt for Justin I couldn't help but be thankful that it wasn't Carson. His sweet little toddler fingers might not have fared as well.

Aside from the stitches incident, our summer has been fairly low key.

We got season passes to Carowinds (a local amusement park) and have spent a number of days there to ride the rides or lounge at the water-park. Averie and Carson are little dare-devils. Averie has ridden on every ride that her height allows, including some pretty fun roller coasters. If only she were two inches taller, she could ride ALL of the thrill rides. Carson LOVES the toddler pool, where he goes down the little water slide, head first, over and over and over. The kids love Carowinds, but Justin and I have had our share. We've definitely gotten our $$$ worth out of the passes and I think Justin wouldn't care if we never went back. But I'm sure there will be many more days that we will brave the miserable (humid) heat, long lines and obnoxious people to have "fun" at the amusement park.

We've been going to a local park a couple times a week where we walk a couple laps around the trail, then let the kids play on the playground. Then Justin had a "great" idea... We can use this time to get in shape. We will alternate one of us jogging a lap around the 1/2 mile trail while the other walks with the kids, then when the jogger catches up to the walker we switch. Seemed to me like it would be a piece of cake. So, after a warm-up lap, we started off and I jogged first with Sadie in tow. One lap down, I can't see them so I figure I'll walk a bit to catch my breath... Two laps, they're still not in my sight, I feel like I might pass out... Two and a half laps, I see them, but I swear Justin is walking at lightning speed, how can I ever catch up with him? My legs feel like rubber and I'm afraid that if I go any faster I might trip and fall. Driven by my deep desire to be done with this misery, I sprint the last little bit and catch him. It took one full lap of walking for my heart to slow down enough before I could be certain that it wouldn't thump out of my chest. Needless to say, I'm out of shape! Justin didn't do so badly. I like to think that maybe since I jogged first, I was completely worn out and walked at a slower pace so he didn't have as many laps to catch me. Anyway, it's a good family activity and the kids enjoy it.

Justin has pulled out the bikes and bike trailer and cleaned them up. Last night I took Carson and Averie for a quick ride around the block (Carson in the trailer and Averie leading on her bike) just to make sure the tires stayed pumped and Averie could ride at a reasonable speed. Hopefully we can get some nice bike-rides in through the rest of the summer.

That's the update for the month. I vow to take more pictures so the next blog is more interesting!

Catching up...

2009-06-08T21:35:00.009-04:00

I know, I know... I'm not a good blogger. What can I say? It's my MO... Post a blog, wait a couple months, post, wait, post wait...

Anywho... Here's the low down on the past couple months.

We celebrated Justin's B-Day. He and I had a romantic dinner and enjoyed a relaxing evening to ourselves. Then the night after his B-Day we celebrated with the kids. Instead of a regular Birthday cake Justin asked for Molten Lava Chocolate cakes. They turned out AWESOME!

Averie had her first dance recital, she did ballet and tap and did a wonderful job. She's a gorgeous little princess!

This is dress rehearsal.

After the performance Justin presented Averie with a bouquet of flowers. She was so pleased and excited to have gotten flowers, especially from her daddy!

Proud Dad!

Jared and Renae came to visit us. We toured some historic sites. Jared and Justin went to the Nascar Coca-Cola 600 race and it was rained out... bummer! We went to the first gold mine in the US where we toured the gold mine and panned for gold. Little known fact... the first gold found in the US was just outside of Charlotte... who knew?

We celebrated my 30th B-Day! We went uptown Charlotte with friends. Since it was race weekend, SpeedStreet was going on and uptown was a pretty happenin spot.

That's it for now (short and sweet). See you in a couple months!

Beautiful April Weekend!

2009-04-06T12:43:00.006-04:00

We just had a gorgeous weekend! Saturday we did yard work (blah). But yesterday we went to see Playhouse Disney live. We took the train uptown (which is just as much of the excitement for the kids). The show was fun, Averie had a great time! Carson, on the other hand, was difficult. He didn't get his full morning nap and was restless and fussy for the first 10 minutes of the show, then he fell asleep and all was good! After the show we stopped at Costco and ran into the Easter Bunny! Carson was intrigued, but very leery of him and would not go close. Averie sat on his lap and enjoyed having her picture taken. We then went home and spent some time in the backyard. As you can see in the pictures, Carson was filthy from exploring, but he was happy and content, so oh well.

Waiting for the train... notice Carson's cool mohawk!

Averie with the Playhouse Disney stage in the background.

Outside the arena. Carson had more fun playing on the benches and bike racks than he did at the show. He's a little dare-devil and got himself swinging pretty well!

How precious is this picture?! I love it!

Here's a random little video clip we took while hanging out on the patio. These are two sweet kids!

I'm a slacker!

2009-03-13T17:41:00.010-04:00

It's been two months since my last post... I'm a slacker. I won't bore you with the nitty gritty details of the past two months, but I have posted some of the highlights (beginning with the most recent).

Last weekend we went to the Elton John / Billy Joel - Face 2 Face concert. I'm not the biggest fan of either so while I thought it would be fun, I didn't think it would be anything exceptional, but it was AWESOME! Both were really great performers. Elton John was very gracious toward the audience and his band. He stood from his piano after each song to wave, give five or sign autographs...

The weather last week was beautiful. It was very tempting for us to turn on our AC, but we held out, which is good because it is COLD and dreary today and will be for the next couple of days. This NC weather is crazy! One weekend it's sunny and warm and the next it's snowy...

Speaking of SNOW, this next group of pictures was taken five days before our beautiful (high 70's) weekend. Apparently it was the biggest snow storm (6+ inches) in Charlotte in 5 years. The kid's daycare was closed so I had to stay home with them and Averie enjoyed playing outside with Sadie.

Carson won't wear a bib. No matter what kind we put on he will pull and tear until it comes off. Then a couple weeks ago we found a great, waterproof bib at Ikea. It is like a little shirt that he puts his arms in and snaps at the neck. He works at getting this one off too, but we've bought ourselves a little time.

This was pre-Ikea bib. Mmmmm... Chocolate!

For those of you who remember Averie's fascination with the dishwasher, you'll appreciate Carson's fascination as well. He comes running the second the dishwasher door is opened.

Another one of those beautiful weekends. We took the kids to the playground then took a walk around the nature trail that surrounds the park.

Our little dare-devil. This is his favorite way to go down any slide (head-first).

We've been busy!

2009-01-07T16:44:00.009-05:00

The past month has been pretty busy...

Cameron visited for Christmas. He was here for 13 days and we had a great time! He's grown up so much. Averie absolutely loved tagging along with him. We could tell there were times she annoyed him, but he handled it well, after all she adores him and just wanted to be with her big brother. The weather was hot and cold, literally. Christmas day was so warm we kept our patio door open until late in the evening to let a breeze cool down the house. However, there were a few days that were quite chilly and we needed to bundle up. For the most part we just hung out, we did some Christmas shopping, celebrated Carson's birthday, went fishing, played video games and celebrated Christmas.

Carson turned one! What a sweet kid! His actual birthday was the day Cameron flew in and Justin and I both worked so we didn't have much of a celebration. We brought cupcakes in for his class. He was not interested in opening his presents, but LOVED his cake. Of course, he didn't understand the concept of blowing out a candle so Cameron and Averie helped while we held down his hands so he wouldn't touch the flame. I felt really guilty that amid everything else, his birthday was a relatively small event... I'm already falling into the Christmas / Birthday trap that so many people with December birthdays complain about.

Christmas was great. The kids woke up at about 7:30 (Justin actually had to wake up Averie) and were delighted that Santa had come. Averie is 100% girl and was thrilled to get a cupcake maker, barbie, bride dress-ups and all things Disney related. Cameron got a Rip-Stik (similar to a skateboard) and in no time was riding around like a pro... he really makes it look easier than it is. Justin and I both tried to ride it, but decided it would be best to avoid an ER trip on Christmas day! Carson was just thrilled to have a chocolate free-for-all. He wandered around all morning scrounging for chocolate.

As you look through the pictures you'll notice a trend... Averie is really into silly posing. She says it's "glamour".

These first few pictures are taken at the lake behind our house. We didn't catch anything, but we sure had fun. Averie has her own Hannah Montana fishing rod which she loves, but she gets bored easily with actual fishing. Cameron really enjoys fishing and fishes a lot at home with his stepdad so he was really good at setting up the poles, baiting the lines and casting.

I thought this would be a funny picture... Technically, it is private property, but thhe lake is for private use by households in our neighborhood so we can "trespass".

We had a small, family celebration for Carson's Birthday.

I'm a bit dissapointed with our camera, it's only two years old, but we're having problems with pictures in low light... even with flash. It started a few months ago. These aren't the best quality, but they are our only Christmas pictures.

We took the opportunity to take a few family pictures. I would have loved to set up a formal photo-shoot, but just didn't get around to it.

I think this one is funny... it really captures what that afternoon was like.

We made the move!

2008-11-05T19:06:00.009-05:00

We officially reside in Charlotte! Unfortunately, I have to modify a statement in my last blog about things falling into place. The sell of our house in PA fell through so it's on the market. That aside, we're settling in nicely. The kids enjoy their new daycare. Justin started his job the Monday after we moved in. I've been very busy at work.

This post is going to be short and sweet... I promise I'll post more pictures at a later date!

One last picture before we leave our house in PA.

The drive from PA to NC (somewhere in the Virginia mountains).

This is the view from our backyard in Charlotte (just before sunrise).

I'm sorry the lighting in this video is so dark. Hopefully you can see what a darling little dragon and beautiful little princess my kiddos were for Halloween!

Things are falling into place...

2008-10-07T20:04:00.014-04:00

Well, I'm excited to say that things are falling into place with our move! We are finalizing the paperwork for a lease to own on our house. We found a good daycare in Charlotte and the kids are both enrolled. Justin got a job offer - at the place we hoped for. And we put a deposit down on a house in Charlotte that's just five minutes from daycare and less than 15 minutes from my work and Justin's work.

I'm sad to move, but so excited that I won't have to travel anymore. It's been hard on all of us. For Justin basically being a single Dad when I'm gone, for the kids to not have their Mom there consistently and for me to leave the kids every other week.

This last weekend we went for a drive in the country. Sadly, it's probably the last one we'll take in PA. We stopped in Lititz and enjoyed ice-cream cones at a little shop and took some cute pictures. Carson had his first ice-cream and boy did he love it!

Averie is usually bugged when I try to take her picture, but for some reason she loved modeling for the camera!

Since it's been a while since I last posted the next few pictures are a bit outdated.

In August we went to Washington DC for the ward temple trip.

This is my binky baby... this boy loves his binky or should I say binkies.

When I was little my family would as "Vivi, where's your chin?" and I'd point to my chin. Then they'd ask "Where's your other chin?" and I'd point to my double chin. I guess we know where Carson gets his.

Averie started soccer this fall. She really enjoys it. Her team is 2 - 2.

Help us sell our house!

2008-09-16T14:33:00.000-04:00

We've been torn about whether we should lease or sell our house when we move to Charlotte. We've decided to sell. We're starting as a For Sale by Owner and will see how that goes. We've created a blog of our home www.314AmandaCourt.blogspot.com. If you know anyone in the market for a charming home in this area please send them this link!

Happy Birthday Bugga!

2008-08-28T20:37:00.004-04:00

Happy Birthday Mom! Averie was excited to sing you a special Birthday song. And as an extra treat she agreed to do the Z-snap... this girl's got attitude. I was hoping Carson would "talk" but he was pre-occupied with his graham cracker.

I know you aren't terribly excited about your birthday, but we want you to know how much you mean to us. And whether you like it or not, we want to celebrate this day. If it weren't for your Birthday you wouldn't be our Mom and Bugga. You are the greatest Mom and we hope this year brings good fortune and happiness.

We love you and miss you.

P.S. Pause the music so you can hear the singing.

Catching up on the last month...

2008-08-28T19:48:00.016-04:00

I've been terrible at keeping our blog up to date so this is going to be filled with updates...

Update #1 - I quit RRD! YAY! My last day was 8/8/08. No more spending 3 hours a day in the car and no more filling the gas tank 3 times a week!

Update #2 - I started a new job with Shutterfly on 8/11/08. Shutterfly is an Internet-based social expression and personal publishing service that enables consumers to share, print and preserve their memories. Check out the site, it's a really cool company with awesome product! http://www.shutterfly.com/. So far so good, I'm really enjoying the company and the people.

Update #3 - We're moving to Charlotte. I know this is a complete 180 from our original plan to move west. We're excited about it and we still plan to move west long term, this is just a minor detour.

Update #4 - Carson is on the go! He's gone from scooting to crawling to pulling himself up. Now that this kid is mobile he hates being confined anywhere. The crib has now become a prison that he hates unless he's sleeping. He loves exploring his new world. In fact he's trying to climb the stairs right now (Of course, Justin is monitoring and diverting). His favorite thing to do is to splash in Sadie's water dish. We have to her dish up while he's "loose". He's also quite the eater. He loves meal-time. However, he now wakes during the night for a bottle. I think he's going through a growth spurt.

This is Carson stuck between the couch and the wall. He scooted himself in then got stuck. I had to pull the couch out slightly to free him.

Carson loves splashing around on the slip-n-slide.

Redneck swimming pool... Who needs a good slip-n-slide when you can frolic in the garbage can? Justin was cleaning out the trash can and Averie just couldn't resist. You can imagine the looks of passers by.

More pictures of our Niagara Falls trip...

We did a lot of walking and Averie was tired. This is her pouting because she decided she didn't want to walk.

We decided the kids could share the stroller.

This is Horseshoe Falls. We don't have many pictures where you can actually see the falls because it was so misty.

These are the rapids leading to the American Falls.

That's the Canadian side in the background.

American Falls directly behind us and Horseshoe Falls in the distance.

A few pictures from the Hill Cumorah Pageant.

Carson was in heaven crawling around on the blanket at the pageant. He kept himself occupied most of the night until he fell asleep. Averie loved the pageant and was absolutely captivated the whole time.

We had a great trip!

Busy week...

2008-07-23T22:58:00.003-04:00

Monday Carson had his six month check up (he's actually seven months old but we've been a month behind ever since his hospital visit). Here are his stats: 16lbs 11oz and 26 7/8". The Dr. was impressed that he was able to reach for his pacifier and put it in his mouth. He is soooo close to crawling... he gets in the crawling position, scoots and pushes off from his toes. Any day now... He had his immunizations and was terribly fussy for two days. This little guy is the most mild-mannered, happy baby so having a fussy and needy baby for two days was different. Luckily, today he's back to his happy self!

Last week we had a fun "mini" vacation. We drove up to Palmyra, NY and went to the Hill Cumorah pageant. It was a lot of fun, but both Justin and I were exhausted. We both ended up falling asleep toward the end of the pageant. Averie had a nap on the way up and was refreshed and thrilled to be in New York. She kept telling us that when we get to NY she's going to see Jesus. I told her that it will not be the real Jesus because Jesus is in Heaven and she said "Uh-uh, Jesus is in my heart".

We also went to Niagara Falls. I'm so glad we did, it was amazing! The drive from Palmyra to Niagara Falls was 1 1/2 hours. We had a package of Oreo cookies to snack on during our drive. I found myself mindlessly eating cookies and decided I should put them on the back seat to get them away. We arrived at Niagara Falls and Justin and I jumped out of the car to get the stroller ready and the kids out. As I reached in to unbuckle Averie I saw the cookie package and reached in to find ALL but four cookies were missing the cream! When I looked at Averie and asked why she ate only the cream out of the cookies she very matter of factly replied "Because I don't like the black part."

We took a lot of pictures but I haven't downloaded them from the camera yet. Watch for another post to come soon with pictures.

Amish Country in the Summer

2008-06-18T18:36:00.002-04:00

This picture is for Mom and Bama. This view should be familiar, it was the same road we took on our Amish Buggy Ride in February... I wanted you to see the same country in the summer when everything is green.

June Vacation

2008-06-18T17:46:00.017-04:00

Well, I'm sad to say our "summer vacation" has come to an end. Mom & Dad Johnson and Cameron visited us for a couple weeks in June. Cameron left on the 11th and Mom & Dad yesterday. Each time our visitors leave the house is quiet and it leaves us feeling slightly down. Averie avoids saying goodbye, she wouldn't get out of the car to give Grandma and Grandpa a hug and tell them goodbye (she avoided saying goodbye to Rosie, Bama and Bugga a few months ago too). Averie is sick... I thought she was being dramatic because she was sad about everyone leaving, but she's had a fever and I can tell she doesn't feel well. Today was a sick day so I didn't go back to work as originally planned.

We did a lot of fun things while everyone was here. Hershey Park, Mt. Gretna, picnic in the park, Gettysburg, Intercourse Pretzel Factory and shops, Amish Buggy Ride, playing in the sprinklers and hanging out & watching movies.

Carson and Averie also received a "baby" blessing. Yes, Averie is slightly older than a baby, but she never received one as an infant so we took this opportunity to do so. They were both blessed by Grandpa Johnson. Averie was very excited to have her blessing. I was slightly concerned that Carson might squirm or fuss, but he was perfect. Afterward, we had lunch at the house with some close friends in the ward. Cameron got to be here for the blessings, but unfortunately, we were rushed to head home for lunch and didn't get a picture at church while he was here. This picture was taken the following weekend on Father's Day.

We finally have updated pictures of Cameron! The kids had so much fun together! Averie tagged along with Cameron just as little sisters do. Cameron enjoyed it for the most part, but every once in a while was annoyed with her, just as older brothers are!

Happy Birthday Papa Moni!

2008-06-02T22:03:00.004-04:00

What good looking kids!

2008-05-17T21:23:00.010-04:00

This is a recent picture of Cameron. He's so grown up and such a good looking kid! We are soooo excited for him to visit in June. Mom & Dad Johnson are coming as well and we are looking forward to spending time together.

Averie is such a good big sister. This morning I awoke when I heard the music on Carson's mobile playing. I heard Averie in Carson's room talking to him. I layed in bed for probably 10 minutes listening to Averie babble to Carson... It was something like this (all in a sing-song baby voice): "This is Elmo and this is Cookie Monster... (a few minutes of playing with a musical Sesame Street toy) ...Cameron's coming in June and we're going to Chocolate World! We're going to Chocolate World, yes we are. Don't you love Chocolate World? Yes, we are!" Then after a few minutes he began fussing, so she came into our room and said very matter-of-factly, "Mom, Carson's hungry." Such a sweet girl.

Carson is such a good baby. He sleeps so well in his crib, in fact, sometimes I have to wake him up in the morning. He smiles all the time. It's difficult to get pictures of him smiling because as soon as the flash on the camera goes off he gives a puzzled or startled look. This picture is without flash. It's difficult to see, but if you look closely you can see his spiky orangutan hair... it's so cute!

I love this picture! I took this before she realized I had the camera. As soon as she realized I was taking pictures she wanted to pose.

Look at these darling, little, chubby feet!

This is Carson's startled look... I swear he was smiling right up to the point the flash went off.

Catching up on the last month...

2008-04-16T22:30:00.016-04:00

I went back to work on March 17th and I'm not at all thrilled about it. Oh well... I guess it's not that terrible and I see great things in my future (that don't include RRD)! You gotta do what you gotta do - right?

Averie actually really enjoys being back at KinderCare. Carson seems to like it too. He has some really good teachers in his room who I can tell care for him because they are loving people, not just because it's their job. This puts my mind at ease and makes it easier for me to work.

As the kids grow, it's so much fun to see their very distinct personalities. Averie and Cameron are pretty similar, I even catch Averie giving a "Cameron" look now and then.

-Cameron and Averie are both "doers". As a toddler, Cameron liked to dis-assemble and re-assemble the vacuum. Averie likes to sort anything small into any type of container (i.e. beads into muffin tins or rocks into small bowls).

-Averie was alert even as an infant... Carson is sleepy and laid back.

-Averie liked to be swaddled... Carson likes his hands free.

-Cameron and Averie always wanted to sleep in our bed (Averie still tries!)... Carson prefers to sleep in his crib.

-Carson is as content as can be in the arms of pretty much anybody... Averie's pretty picky about who she gets close to and Cameron took a while to warm up to people.

-Carson is a little chub... Averie was a pretty average baby... Cameron was pretty thin.

-Averie absolutely loves to play dress-up in anything girly or princess. Cameron loved to dress-up at this age, but he was in to super heros and Peter Pan (I can think of a really cute picture of Cameron in a Peter Pan costume, I'll dig it out and post it).

I could go on and on. I just enjoy their sweet little spirits!

Believe it or not, Carson enjoys tummy time. He's pretty strong and can hold himself up very well (in this picture he had a little assistance).

Averie had a lot of fun coloring Easter Eggs this year. This is also the first year that she really seemed to understand the meaning of Easter. It's still engrained in her head because she speaks alot about Jesus' death and resurrection.

Averie and Carson on Easter morning. The Easter bunny must have known about Averie's obsession with my "cumbrella" because she got her own pink "cumbrella" maybe now she won't break anymore of mine!

This is about the time that Averie told us that "I'm so happy in my heart!".

Poor baby!

2008-03-05T20:41:00.010-05:00

Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later... I was just hoping for later... Carson got sick. Poor little guy started with a big, adult-like cough. He had a few more coughing spells throughout the weekend and by day three seemed really uncomfortable. Since it was Sunday and I didn't think it warranted an Emergency room visit we treated him with Tylenol and some time in the steamed up bathroom. Monday morning he seemed better but I called the pediatrician's office anyway. Carson happened to have his two-month well baby visit the next day and he did seem to be better so they suggested we have him checked when we came in for the regular visit. By one in the morning he had gone downhill and was really uncomfortable. He finally fell asleep around two and slept the rest of the night. At his Dr. visit the nurse took one look at him and told us she didn't think he would be getting any vaccinations. They checked his oxygen levels and gave him a breathing treatment. The Dr. evaluated him then admitted him to the hospital. At the hospital he was put on oxygen and an IV. His RSV test came back positive... Poor baby had RSV and pneumonia! I felt like such a terrible mom for waiting as long as I did! He ended up staying for four days. The pediatric unit was full and we had a shared room with another little baby who had RSV. Just like Carson she was two-months old and was also born at 35 weeks. The room was cramped, especially in the evenings when we squeezed two cots into the room on top of the two hospital cribs. By day two he was better and day three really well. The Dr. reduced his oxygen and took him off the IV. If all went well that night he would go home the next day. He did well that night and the next day was given the OK to go home.

Poor Carson went into the hospital sick and pathetic and he came out a brand new guy! Friday evening during some quality time with Dad he was in a good mood and smiled a lot. Since then he's been smiley and coos a lot. He's still a bit wheezy at times and gets breathing treatments, but he's so much better.

We are so blessed to have family and friends who kept Carson in their prayers, our Home Teachers who made a trip to the hospital on a very cold night to give him a blessing and the McBride's for keeping Averie through it all.

Disney on Ice

2008-03-05T19:28:00.006-05:00

A few weeks ago I bought tickets to Disney on Ice, Princess Wishes. I knew Averie would love it and thought it would be a good family activity. The day of the show was the day Carson got out of the hospital. I was exhausted and frazzled from the week's hospital adventures and not really in the mood for an ice show. Since Carson was sick Justin stayed home with him and we invited Molly to go with us. (Truthfully I think Justin was relieved... Disney Princess' aren't really his cup of tea! I still give him credit since he agreed to go in the first place.)

In true Vivian form I was late and had to rush through the parking lot and to our seats, with two princesses in tow, Molly as Ariel and Averie as Aurora. The usher at the door directed us to the wrong section and we walked quite a distance before realizing the mistake and trekking (yes, it felt like a trek) back to our section... Not a good start. Meanwhile, the show started and we were still rushing to our seats. To top it off our seats were in the middle of a row and we had to disrupt a family to get to them. My mood was terrible and I just prayed time would pass quickly... I was already anticipating the 30 minute drive home and finally crashing into my own bed.

...Once we got settled my mood changed. Averie and Molly's faces were priceless - they were captivated. The show was really cool! It was amazing what talent the skaters had, especially those who had to navigate on iceskates in bulky costumes. I can only imagine the hours spent training. I could even see Jasmine's six-pack abs from our seats - wow! Suddenly, I didn't feel so tired, I enjoyed the show almost as much as Averie and Molly. During intermission we stepped out for a bathroom break. Lots of girls were dressed up as princesses, but I didn't see any Ariels and I only saw one other Aurora. Needless to say Averie and Molly thought they were pretty cool. We ended up having a great time even though Averie had a melt down at the end (she was tired from the rough week too), but nothing a couple Disney theme songs couldn't calm.

I'm really glad we went and will even consider another Disney on Ice show next time they come to town.

Visit to PA!

2008-02-22T13:53:00.042-05:00

Bugga, Bama and Rosie visited us this past week. We had such a nice time and took lots of pictures. We met them at the airport and as soon as Averie saw them she went running to Rosie... after that Averie and Rosie stuck together like glue. It was bitter-cold most of the trip and we even got a small snow storm.

After we met them at the airport we stopped at Baltimore Inner Harbor and had dinner.

Getting bundled up to go outside...

Sunday afternoon we went for a walk to the Chickies rock overlook where we had a nice view of the Susquehanna river.

We went to Hershey's Chocolate World where Rosie and Averie got to "work" packaging Hershey Kisses. We also watched the "Really Big 3D Show" and went on the chocolate tour.

Tuesday we visited an antique shop in Adamstown (supposedly the antique captial of the country) then drove through Amish country.

We stopped at a little road-side stand and bought two loaves of homemade bread. Payment was honor system and you just put the money in a small container. It was very windy and as Bama was walking back to the van Rosie started screaming that the money was blowing away. Unfortunately it blew across the street.

These pictures were taken from the inside of a buggy. We went on a buggy tour of the countryside. It was quite informative and I learned many things about the Amish and Mennonites that I did not know. It was something I probably never would have done had we not had visitors, but I'm glad we did.

We had a small snow storm and Rosie and Averie went out to play in the snow. This same evening there was a lunar eclipse. We all bundled up and went outside to watch. It was bitter-cold and pretty soon Justin and Bama went in where they discovered we could watch through the windows of our living room. So, we came inside and enjoyed the eclipse from the warmth of the house!

Carson is growing so quickly. He's smiled a couple of times here and there, but not consistently and with long spans (days) between each smile. However, during this visit he really developed his smiling muscles and smiled more often than ever before. He's also developing his voice and cooing much more. He likes to suck on his hands and makes little smacking noises. And, he slept through the night for the first time! Since then it's been sporadic, but he's slept through the night a few times.

Saying goodbye... Needless to say, it was a tearful goodbye. We enjoyed our visit so much. Sadie and Carson will probably have Grandma withdrawls. Averie gave Rosie a stuffed purple monkey and kept a pink one for herself so they will have reminders of each other.

Averie would not come outside to say goodbye. When Justin, Carson and I came back in from waving goodbye (just minutes later) she was sound asleep on the couch. Later when she woke up her first words were "Why does Rosie have to go on a plane?" They had such a good time and we can't wait until we're all together again!

Random Pictures

2008-02-12T21:21:00.002-05:00

Today Carson is eight weeks old. He likes to be held and gets bored when in the same position too long. This makes it difficult to get much done. He loves his big sister and enjoys it when she entertains him. The other day I was getting ready and propped him on the bed, he was fussing and pretty soon began to cry. The crying didn't last very long and I just assumed he'd fallen asleep or found something interesting to look at. When I peeked in Averie was holding him and he was quite content... she's a very helpful big sister!

In jammies that Grandma Johnson made...

Snow Day!

2008-02-12T20:56:00.000-05:00

Ready to go outside!

Snow Angel

Doctor visit

2008-01-07T22:25:00.000-05:00

Today we had a follow up Dr. appointment for Carson. The Dr. was thrilled at how well he is doing. He has gained weight and is now 7lbs 10oz and 20 1/4" (that averages to a weight gain of two ounces a day since his last visit). His face is beginning to fill out and he's starting to lose the old man look. We went in expecting to just have Carson checked but ended up getting a flu shot for Averie. Poor Averie was not expecting a shot and it pretty much ruined her morning. She was quite dramatic about it and needed to be cuddled, so we went home and the three of us snuggled on the couch while Averie and Carson took a nap.

Today is Cameron's birthday. We went to the post office to mail his B-Day package (late as usual) and Averie miss-understood and thought we were going to visit Cameron. She was so disappointed when we got to the post office and Cameron wasn't there. Needless to say she had a rough day, but finished off on a good note by watching Shark Boy and Lava Girl (a Disney Chanel movie). It was the highlight of her day!

Ready for bed...

While I was making dinner Averie was playing with Carson's swing. I thought she was just playing with the mobile (which she usually does), but when I walked in this is what I found. She was quite pleased with herself...

2007-12-25T22:13:00.000-05:00

We had a great Christmas! Averie slept in and we had a nice, relaxing, morning. Averie was as sweet as can be and enjoyed every minute of the day until about 30 minutes before bed-time then she had a melt down... too much activity and still having trouble adjusting to a new baby in the house. Carson slept all day (much of that time on my chest while I dozed off and on). To finish off the day we had a wonderful dinner with our friends the McBrides.

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-11T19:44:00.000-05:00

It's a boy!

2007-09-05T08:55:00.000-04:00

First "picture" of baby boy Johnson. All went well with the ultrasound. Averie got to come and see her baby brother and hear his heartbeat.

Home Improvement

2007-09-05T08:45:00.000-04:00

Justin working on replacing the patio door and a portion of the sub-floor.

The gaping hole once the old door was removed.

The new floor.

2007-08-05T08:44:00.000-04:00

Yesterday we went to Mt. Gretna Lake. Mt. Gretna is a cute little community about 30 minutes from our house. This was our first time there and we had a blast. Averie swam her little heart out for nearly four hours - the only time she stopped was to have lunch and play in the sand for a bit. She was so tired that she fell asleep in the car on the way home (around 4:30pm) and slept until the next morning; she woke up at 7am. That is a first... she's never slept so long!

2007-08-05T08:37:00.000-04:00

Oh how things change in the blink of an eye! Our house is officially off the market... It's not sold; we've changed our minds about moving. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted. Now the hard part of commuting an hour and a half until January. Fortunately there is a group of ladies who carpool from Lancaster to Allentown and they happened to have room for one more! Since we've worked so hard to keep our house in showing condition we're still in improvement mode and are looking to replace our back door and the kitchen floor. The next project is to put the baby's room together. We still have three weeks until we find out the gender.

2007-07-04T14:29:00.001-04:00

Our house is finally on the market! Now comes the hard part of keeping the house in "showing" condition every day. This is a particular challenge since this pregnancy has been exhausting for Viv. Averie is excited to have a new room; she's already picked her colors (pink and yellow). There's so much to do... now the search is on for a new home in Berks County.

2007-07-04T13:59:00.000-04:00

Since we've set up camp on the east coast and most of our family is in the west we thought we'd try out a blog to keep everyone up to date. I'm terrible at sending pictures and this seems a little easier.

Averie loves to wear mama's shoes.

Admiring the tulips in DC.

Marin, Mike and Maile visited in May. We finally got to meet baby Maile! What a sweetie! Averie enjoyed playing with her cousin but had a little trouble adjusting to another kid in the house and having to share the attention... I think it was a preview of what's to come when the baby is born.

Sean came out for a few weeks to visit. Averie loved having her uncle Sean-y here. We visited Baltimore and DC. We also spent a day at Hershey park. Sean went on exchanges with the ward missionaries and spent some time playing basketball with them on their P-day.

Learning to ride my bike!

This is an older picture of our family hiking in Payson canyon; it's one of my favorites.