Under Construction

It has taken me most of the morning to remember all my passwords, it has been so long since I have posted. I guess 2009 wasn't worth remembering?

Of course it was, and for all you who are now holding your breath waiting to hear more.... go ahead and breathe there will be more to come soon.

I remembered how to change my background and update my playlist. Maybe tomorrow I will get some new pictures up.

Merry Christmas

I had 2 goals this Christmas season, 1st to Simplify, and 2nd to be done with my Christmas shopping before Thanksgiving, thinking that these 2 things would ensure that I would be able to really relax and enjoy the Christmas season. Well I was able to finish a good portion of my shopping with just a few odds and ends left (and I did simplify). Although I didn't have the stress of shopping, waiting in lines, and driving in crazy traffic, I still haven't got that peaceful relaxing holiday I was hoping for, life hasn't slowed down a bit. The kids still had school, with after school activities, choir concerts, and social studies projects. Stoney has been busy with late hours at work and his calling in Young Mens, and I with the endless, all things Primary (Click on Brian and Beckie to check out our latest primary activity), on top of everything else that makes up just being a mom. So with everything else that got pushed to the side this Christmas Season to make room for reality. This is my Christmas Card. I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!

Love, The Carters

Not Well.......Not Sick!

It feels like I am taking my kids to the Dr. every other day. This time we were in for a rash. We weren't there for a well check so they wouldn't let us play in the WELL waiting room and we definately weren't sick so there was no way I was going to go sit in the SICK waiting room and be around all the coughing, sneezing, snotty kids that were running fevers. So we sat in the foyer with no toys. After a few minutes I was getting desperate so I started pulling anything and everything out of my purse. Chapstick, hand sanitizer, lotion. They bored very quickly......so I pulled out my camera and this kept them occupied for at least 15 min until it was our turn.

Nat Nat's Birthday!

Natalie was so excited for her Birthday and almost drove me crazy for a week. This is the first year she has really understood what having a birthday meant. If you asked her what she wanted for her birthday she just said "Toys, Lots of Toys! And a yellow cake!

She helped me frost the yellow cake. No she's not sick she got play make up from Grandma Carter, and she doesn't know the difference between lipstick and eyeshadow.

Her Barella!


Yellow cake!

While NOT so patiently waiting she informed us we needed to "Put the fire on it!".
Simple easy and too much fun!

Halloween Fun

Halloween lasted over a week at our house. Starting with a costume party my friend Beckie throws every year. Dressing up puts us way out of our comfort zone, and we don't enjoy it. So after thinking about it for over 2 weeks the day of the party I was able to throw together costumes for us. Thanks to a quick trip to the thrift store and a $5 shirt at Walmart. I thought they turned out pretty ingenious and we didn't feel too ridiculous.


If you cant tell we are Clark Kent and Lois Lane, my costume is all about the props. I have a camera and notice my daily planet press pass.

I used to love Halloween and would spend hours making costumes, but the more kids I have the more tired I am. This year they were very kind to me and we recycled alot the things we already had.


Nicole was a dark fairy, (thanks Aunt Lisa and Aunt Sarah for the tu-tu!)


Haley was a ballerina, (old ballet costume of mine, nothing a few safety pins couldn't fix.)


Arthur was a mummy, (a sheet I ripped, tea died and glued to old clothes)


Chad was a skeleton, (the only costume I bought)
Natalie was a fairy / butterfly / ballerina / it changed by the minute, (thanks again Aunts Lisa and Sarah.)


Then we had our annual Trunk or Treat at the church. I was so excited that Halloween was on a Friday and was hoping that they would have the trunk of treat on Halloween night, then I would only have to dress my kids once. Trunk of Treat, then hit the neighborhoods. No such luck! Our activities committee went all out, we had about 10 room in the church decorated and filled with little carnival games, cake walks, face painting, and my friend Beckie even brought her animals.....goats, pigs, turtle, and snake for a little petting zoo. The kids brought home loads of candy. But on the upside I didn't have to buy trick or treat candy because we just recycled the trunk or treat candy.

For family night we carved pumpkins. The older kids carved and the babies colored theirs. Me and Stoney helped them trace and dig out but the kids did the rest themselves. They turned out pretty nice.


We served dinner in a pumpkin and decorated sugar cookies. And of course watched "Its the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown." That is a favorite of Stoney's, he loves the holidays and keeps us all young.


Halloween night we hit the streets, well only two streets for the babies and then I took them home to hand out candy for the trick or treaters. And while the babies weren't looking I dumped out the majority of their candy bags in to the bowl, we recycled alot of candy. Nicole went with her friends and Stoney took Haley and Arthur and the neighbor boys through the rest of the neighborhood.

Domestic Goddess?

I love to hear when stay at home Moms give as a job description.......I am a "Domestic Goddess". Now if you are one of those Moms and I have just offended you please continue to read. Because I don't feel that anything that I am doing is in the least bit Goddess like. I have decided to label my job description as "Human Waste Management" For those of you who don't know I have recently taken in a 3 1/2 year old foster boy. And between Him and my Natalie, I don't do anything but wipe butts, wash sheets, rinse out poopy underwear, clean up accidents on the bathroom floor because they have waited too long and now can't hold it long enough to just pull down their pants or lift the toilet seat, clean carseats, which I have taken apart and washed 5 times in the last few weeks, (it only has a few more washes left until the cover completely falls apart), help with trips to the potty at home and everywhere we go, because they can't go for more than 30 minutes in between potty breaks. And if I'm lucky and at a store long enough we get to use the public bathroom several times before we leave. Peeing is contagious! I hold my breath and just hope that we won't have any accidents when we leave the house. And all of this from 2 little children that are supposedly potty trained.
Domestic Goddess HA!

Creepy Crawlies and Fallen Trees

Our Monsoon season was pathetic. But not so pathetic that it didn't bring out all the creepy crawlies around our house. The other day we found this in our front yard .......



Can you believe the size of this thing? I don't smash bugs or pick them up and Stoney was already at work. It appeared to be half dead anyways so just kept on eye on it most of the morning. Until I found it making its way across my porch, then I knew I had to do something. So I grabbed a mason jar and very quickly placed it on top of the scorpion and scooted it into the sun to bake for the rest of the day. It cooked it good and then I made Stoney lay it out so I could share it with you all.

We had the most amazing dust storm. We were on our way to Nicole's softball game, when a huge wall of dirt blew in from the south, you couldn't see more than 15 feet in front your face. While we are gone Stoney gets this call from our neighbor telling us our tree is now on our carport. It was sad, we have nurtured and pruned that stupid tree for 3 years and we were just starting to like it.



Then later that night I go to check the damage in the back yard expecting to find pool toys all over the back yard. Instead I find our pretty little oleander tree we just planted a few months ago just ripped to shreds.



I wanted to try to save our palo verde tree, but Stoney was much to eager to get rid of it. We tried to track down a chain saw to borrow. All we could find was a friend who had an electric saw. It was just one step up from a hand saw, but beggers can't be choosers and we were just grateful to have it. While Stoney is in the front yard hacking away at the tree, this guy drives past, throws his truck in reverse, jumps out and says "looks like you could use a little help" and he pulls his chain saw out from the back of his truck and in just a few minutes has our tree down. Funny! I think he was just driving around looking for a reason to use his chain saw. Boys and their toys!