We All Need to Be Rewarded!

Scott and I got the rare chance to enjoy a night out at the movies together tonight. It's probably been about 5 months since we've gone to movies last, so this was a nice treat.

We have both been working so many hours, spending more time working on the house (now that the weather's nice) and still try to be the best parents we can....needless to say, we both REALLY needed this break!

I know these are totally dorky pics, but it's just the two of us in the car on the way to the theater. (We're so lame, especially when it's just the two of us!)

Amazing Results!

It seems like our home improvement projects never end...however I can proudly say that our kitchen is DONE!!!!! We needed to fix the back of the island and put baseboards all around the kitchen, dining room and hall.

Here are some great pics to show you how much different things look with a little finishing touch.

I'm so glad this is now offically done! We have been working on our kitchen off and on since last November! So it's definately a relief to mark this huge project off our list!

Ahh the Joys of Parenthood.....

Scott and I have been thinking about a change in vehicle for a little while now, with gas prices the way they are and Scott driving to work 6 days a week now, plus the fact that Carter is a PAIN to get in and out of his two-door 4Runner....well here's the latest...

I still have my 4Runner, I'm not willing to down-size or sacrifice the 'extras' my car has yet. And Scott had an older 4Runner that only had two doors. However, about a year ago Scott had to give up his dream car...this is what Scott went from...

These pictures make me laugh because it's one of the many things you end up sacrificing for in the end for your family. He went from having his dream car (a fine looking vehicle I might add) to your plain old 4-door sedan.

Ultimately, this was the best move for us because the car was so cheap AND it gets great gas mileage (like 36 around town!) so every month we should see a bigger increase in our discretionary income.

Little Stinker!

Carter now has this weird obsession with drinking out of straw. If he even sees a straw, he just has to have it! I got off work really late one night so I picked up something to eat on the way and had my cup when Iwalked in the door...big mistake.

This is Carter, standing (not sitting) in one of our dining room chairs drinking out of my cup with a straw.

He's such a little stinker lately! Good thing he has cute chicklets and an adorable smile because this little guy is a mischievious little dude!

Anniversary Celebration

So I took off three days to go to Arizona, when we came back I couldn't take more time for our anniversary so May 28 was our celebration day! Yesterday I got off work around 7pm and by then time I ate dinner and played with Carter for a little while it was time for bed. It's amazing how crazy life can get sometimes.

I came home from work today around 6:30 pm and found this sweet letter from Scott along with a gift card to Victoria's Secret (my absolute favorite place to shop!) and Bed, Bath & Beyond (my favorite place for the house things to shop) What a sweetie I've married!
I made this to hang on our wall in our bedroom. It's way girlie but is going to look so good in our room. I found the lettering at the Quilted Bear and then painted, sanded and texturized the wood before putting the letters on! So cute.
I swear this is the LAST post about our anniversary you'll see for an entire year.

Happy Anniversary Babe!

Scott and I have been married for 2 years as of May 27th! I wanted to say a few things about my husband and what he means to me.

First, Scott is my best friend. This is the best and only person anyone should marry. He was the only one there for me when times got hard for me. We met when I was 16 and he was 17, so it's been a LONG time for each of us to be there for eachother.

Second, Scott is a wonderful dad to our little Carter babe. He has a ton of patience, rarely gets irritated and worries about Carter so much! Both Carter and I love him very much for that.

Third, I couldn't imagine my life without him. We've been through so much together that I couldn't imagine being with someone who hasn't experienced the things Scott and I have. We got thrown into "adulthood" very quickly, and against our will we had to step up to the plate...I'm very happy to say that we've come a long way and LOVE our life today.

Here are some gorgeous pics of our wedding that happened exactly 2 years ago.

My real dad and step-dad both walked me down the aisle and "gave" me away to Scott, who was waiting at the altar for me.

We were so excited and happy on that day...it was the most PERFECT day!
We had our wedding on Hill AFB at the Officer's Club and had the ceremony at the Chapel on base. Because Scott was raised LDS and I wasn't, the Air Force Chapel was the best option for a compromise because all religions meet there for church.
This was our first dance as an official married couple. We danced to our song, "I can love you like that," Scott picked this song out and made it "our song" when we were both still in high school.
This is the traditional "garter removal." As outgoing as I am, I was really embarassed for this part!
I love you so much Scott and know that I wouldn't be where I am today had it not been for your support and love all of these years. Although we've been married 2 years, we've actually been together for almost 7 years....we've come so far, I can't wait for the future!

CELEBRATION!!!!!!!!

Once the two girls had their ceremonies...it was time the CELEBRATE! Here are some funny and pretty random pics of the event...

This one is of my dad (on the right, for those that don't know) and his older brother, my uncle Mark. They were finishing up the authentic Philly's Finest cheesesteaks. (My dad owned a few Philly's restaurants back in the day...and this definately brought back memories)

This is precious of my cute hubby and our little Tarter Sauce. LOVE IT!
Here's a rare one of myself with Carter. Usually I'm the photographer so to actually get one of me in it is surprising!
Here's one of cute Carter stuffing his face with treats! FAT BOY!
My dad has a pool in his backyard that's all fenced in...Carter's not stupid and wanted to see more of what the pool was about. Poor little guy had to settle for walking up and down the ramp instead.

Little Anthony's

Tucson has this great little restaurant that is like going back in time. It's totally set around the Elvis and Marilyn Monroe era...really cute. The waitresses were the poodle skirts, you can see old restored cars..the whole thing is just fun.

Here are some photos of us being silly...

This is Carters FIRST EVER ice cream sundae! This little kid is so funny...he sounds a lot more deprived than he really is. But this Sundae was too cute to pass up.

Graduation Ceremonies!

We got a chance to see BOTH of my adorable sisters in Arizona to graduate this past weekend. Amanda, the youngest, just graduated from Middle School and will now be entering the wild and crazy world we call HIGH SCHOOL!

This is photo of Amanda (the blonde in the light blue dress in the middle) and all of her friends standing in front of the stretch limo taking them to the graduation ceremony.

Here's one of my cute Tarter Sauce at Amanda's ceremony.
After the ceremony we had some down time to relax, take naps and just spend some quality time together. Here's one of Carter and his Grandpa just chillin.
Rebecca (she goes by Becca, she's 4 years younger than me) she graduated from HIGH SCHOOL that same day! So we got to see her all dressed up! My dad also graduated from the same high school as Becca in 1981 and now here it is 2008 and his daughter is graduating! CRAZY! He's holding his original graduation cap in his hand.
This is a CUTE photo...gorgeous Aunt Becca and sweet Carter ready for another ceremony

Airports and Airplanes

We just got back from visiting my family in Tucson, Arizona today. We were gone about 4 days and fit in a party, two plane trips, two airport explorations, 2 graduation ceremonies, LOTS of family time and learning how to SHARE with others!

Here are some really cute photos of Carter at the airport in Salt Lake City playing in the "children's center."

He was having a BALL, and I was just glad that he was burning off some energy before we had our flight. (Before I was a mom, I would look at these children's areas and think "how gross and nasty everything looked and what kind of germs my kid would pick up just by touching the toys" ...now I was just so excited he was playing!)
This is a picture of Scott and Carter on the plane trying to be my "good boys" while they watched Little Einsteins. Carter was SOOOO GOOD on the plane. He played with toys, watched his show and ate lots of treats on the way there....on the way back he SLEPT the ENTIRE ride! What a sweet boy!
This was just a funny shot....under the Alaska Airlines it says "baggage claim." Well, there's a story behind that...I would fly to AZ every summer growing up to visit my dad and fam there. I was an unaccompanied minor so my mom would sign to get me on the plane and only my dad could sign to get me off the plane. Well, my plane was early one time and they had to have his signature in order to "release"me so they put me in BAGGAGE CLAIM to wait for him. I was literally in a room with other "un-claimed baggage"

So I just had to have this photo of my sweet babe!

So Much Fun!

Scott and I took Carter to the Gateway on Sunday for two reasons: one to experience the Build-A-Bear Workshop and to see one of my best friends, Rachel, and her boyfriend.

The Gateway is such a fun place to go to, just walking around is fun...and free for those on a budget!
Carter picked out his own animal friend...Scott didn't want another bear entering our house. This is how Carter gives "loves" the kid doesn't give hugs or kisses, but he will show some sort of affection to stuffed animals like this.

His favorite part was "washing" the dino. There's really just air coming out of the faucets and Carter was having a BALL!
Once we were done at the Build-a-Bear Workshop, we went down to the fountain area and walked around looking at everything there. This is such a priceless photo of Carter looking back at the waterfall.

Reflections...

This is a cute "tag" that my sister-in-law did and it really made my own memories come back.

This tag is where you think about where you were and what you were doing at various times in your life...it's amazing looking back at what you've accomplished and experienced!

20 Years Ago:

I was 2 years old and living in Arizona. My parents were divorced at this point and I was living with my mom. She was a beginning teacher at the time at an elementary school. I obviously went to preschool/daycare fulltime while she worked. We lived in an apartment and although I can't remember when I was that little, my mom and I are so close to this day because of our "alone time."

10 Years Ago:

I was 12 years old and living in Germany. We had been there for about 2 years already and I was loving it! We got the rare chance to travel everywhere: Spain, France, Switzerland, Holland, Amsterdam, and many other smaller destinations along the way. I was in 7th grade and was the big sister to Sean and Julia who I lived with, and Rebecca and Amanda that I visited every summer in Arizona. I began to realize my love for writing, editing and communicating in middle school.

5 Years Ago:

I was 17 years old, graduating High School and beginning an early semester at the University of Utah. I was going to my Senior Prom with none other than Scott and just began an internship at the Corporate Office of Rumbi Island Grill as help in their Marketing and PR department. I was working at Chancellor Gardens as a "waitress" for the elderly living at the home, going to school fulltime at the U and finishing my high school credits AND doing my internship for 18 hours every week! (Where did I find the time to breathe? I bet that's how I stayed so thin....no time to eat)

3 Years Ago:

I was 19 years old working part time for Rumbi Island Grill (where I did my internship) and going to school fulltime at the U for Mass Communication and also working part time at Meier and Frank in their makeup department. Again, I seriously don't know I fit in ANYTHING else! Scott and I just moved out together and were living in Bountiful in a small two bedroom apartment. I was planning on becoming the next Katie Curic, so I enrolled at Salt Lake Community College in their journalism program (because it was way better than the U's) and became the first ever FEMALE Editor in Chief of their school newspaper. Scott and I talked about marriage but both knew we were too young and weren't ready for a big change like that....little did I know what was in store for me! (Ha ha)

1 Year Ago:

I was just turning 21 years old! Although this should have been a "drinking" party with my friends...I was about 5 months pregnant! So there was no alcohol or caffeine at this party. I also got married, bought a home, quit working fulltime for Kennecott Land, and experienced the most amazing miracle ever...CARTER! I resisted being a mom in the beginning because I was so young and unprepared, but I can't even express how happy and complete that little boy makes my life! I took three months off for this little boy and then began working at a real estate and mortgage company as the Executive Assistant and have been there ever since! We bought my 4Runner (my dream car) and I LOVE it! This past winter I definatly needed it!

So Far This Year:

Scott and I have made MANY improvements on our home: we've exposed and redone the hardwood floors, got the cement flooring in our kitchen and dining room done, tiled the backsplash and counter tops, painted the ENTIRE upstairs, replaced toilets and faucets, bought a new dishwasher, sink, couch set, entertainment center, dining room table.....the list goes on and on.

We've also watched Carter grow up into a little person who walks, talks and knows what he wants. Carter goes to "mommy and me" once a week and daycare about twice a week (depending on the week) and the other times he's either with me or one of his grandmas. Scott and I have grown closer to one another because of the things we've had to go through recently. We've gone to Arizona once so far and will go again shortly to visit my family there. Basically, we're enjoying life right now and not worrying about every little thing.

The Rest of This Year:

We're going to Arizona for my sister's high school graduation. We will celebrate Carter's second birthday! So excited for that. We also will hopefully make it to Iowa one more time to visit our cute brother and sister-in-law there. We want to take at least TWO family trips just the three of us. (Even if it's just to Park City for the weekend) I will turn 23 years old in June, Scott and I will celebrate our 2 year anniversary in May, Scott will turn 25 in November, also in November we will have been in our home for 2 years, and in September Scott and I will be together for 7 whole years! So excited for the future!

Today:

Scott and I took Carter to The Gateway to have lunch at CPK with my good friend Rachel and her boyfriend. We then went to the Build a Bear Workshop where Carter experienced his first ever "making a stuffed animal." We then walked around the fountain while the music played. On the way home, Carter fell asleep and managed to continue sleeping for a total of 3 hours after we got home! (I think he's growing) Scott and I were able to do a total of 7 loads of laundry (who has this much laundry honestly, we're only a family of 3) Once he woke up, we grilled Hamburgers outside and just relaxed the rest of the night.

Tomorrow:

Carter is going to his Grandma Morris' for the day while I go to work. Scott will be at work at 4am and then get off around 3:30pm and pick up the little man. Once home, he usually makes dinner for the two of them and they hang out until I come home around 7:30pm. Then it's off to bathtime for Carter, read a book, sing a song and go to bed. Scott and I usually get about 5 minutes before he has to kit the sack too. Then as my boys are asleep I clean the upstairs and get ready for the next day. After it's all said and done, little Timmy and I sit and enjoy a show or two from our DVR.

This is a great ride down memory lane...everyone should give it a try!

Free Lawn Service!

My cute little Carter will service anyone's lawn for free....he mows, sweeps, and picks up items....so put in your orders before his time fills up!

Just kidding...I do find it really funny though how much he LOVES his mini mower! This little boy saw it at the store and HAD to have it...and now I seriously can't get him inside for anything. Although I was trying to show him that the mower is supposed to be on the grass, he prefers to push it around on the cement.

Little boys are so funny!

19 Months of Motherhood

My little "Carter Babe" is 19 months! (Okay I'm about a week late)

I don't even know where to begin...I've been a mother for 19 months! It really doesn't feel like that long has gone by and then I look at my son and think back to when he was a teeny little guy. Carter is now "talking," running, opening doors and becoming his own mini-person. I LOVE IT! I call him "my favorite" just about 30 times a day, and he really is...he makes me smile everyday (and he also gets me really frustrated too) but there are no words to express how I feel knowing that he's my little man.

I know it may come as a shocker...(not really to those who know me well) but I was never going to be the "stay at home" mom, I wanted to work and let Scott handle all the housework and kids. Well, now that I'm a mom I couldn't imagine going to work everyday and not seeing Carter. I love that I only have to work part-time and get to have him all to myself on two of those days.

Here are 19 things about Carter:

1. He has the funniest looking teeth right now..he only has two teeth and two down that show (there are 4 molars that you can't see when he smiles too.)

2. He is going through a weird transitioning phase right now. He cries when ANYONE leaves him, even if he's at home with me and Scott.

3. He loves to play with other kids...I know daycare has made him a well-adapted kid.

4. He loves go to stores with me...especially Costco! He loves to look at everything everywhere we go.

5. He loves treats...I'm a weird mom who gives my little guy organic gummy bears and fruit juice snacks...but he loves them.

6. He brings Scott and I closer together. When we're at home we look at the things Carter does and it really makes us appreciate everything we have.

7. He is beginning to day a few words like "car" "no" "hot" and "mom."

8. He loves going with his grandmas to places. (I'm sure they don't spoil him or anything)

9. He is my "diet plan." Thanks to his never-ending energy I have maintained my goal weight for some time now.

10. He makes Scott happy. Scott works really long hours and always feel tired, but Carter always manages to make him smile.

11. Carter gives me a better reason to accomplish my dreams and make things happen in our lives, instead of just doing things for myself.

12. I love the way Carter "shakes his booty" so cute!

13. He has a chubby belly after he eats! If I put him a tight shirt you can really see his "budda belly"

14. He is still able to be distracted by food and drinks! (I'll enjoy it while I can)

15. He plays with Timmy in the funniest ways sometimes. He tries to feed him crackers, and put his binkie in the dog's mouth, and is just really funny with him.

16.He loves to watch me put on my makeup...I hope he doesn't get any ideas! But he laughs every time I put on my mascara and blink my eyes.

17. He goes to sleep every night so well. He goes to bed without a peep. All Our nightly routine is bath, reading, singing and then into bed. It's about a two minute process to get him in bed and then I'm done! LOVE IT.

18. He brings families together...I have two families (one here in Utah and the other in Arizona) and then when you add Scott's family...Carter makes everyone come together.

19. The last thing about Carter is that he is such a good sport. The poor kid gets dragged everywhere and he is so good about it. He was out all day with me yesterday, didn't get a nap and then was at RCWilley with me and my mom for almost 3 hours! He is such a good little guy to take places!

"Do It Yourself" Kinda Girl

Many of you probably know, I'm the "do it yourself" kind of girl. This attitude has definately come in handy in the last few months. When you're on a budget, don't have a lot of time but still want to make look nice in your home....here is a great idea!

I found these adorable shelves at Savers (a local thrift store) for only $4! Although they were a dated wood color...I painted right over that and look what I have now!

You can also buy these shelves at a craft store, but our local Michael's wanted over $20 for an unpainted one!
And the last part of my "do it yourself" post is Carter's hair. This poor kid has crazy hair, most of the time he looks like a homeless child. I feel bad because he has both my curls and my thickness! The back part of his hair tends to grow faster than the top, so he ends up looking like a crazy scientist....it's a pain because I take Carter to get his hair cut every other month (so every 8 weeks) and he still looks crazy!

So I had the brilliant idea last night that I would try it myself. I figured that since it was curly, it wouldn't show if I messed up or not. Well, I'm proud to say I didn't mess up...he looks really cute and under control.
This is how much hair I took off that poor kid! It looks like a small animal.

Starting Him Early!

I have to start by telling everyone what an easy-going little guy I have...Carter does so many things and explores like crazy (I'm sure it's not because he has an ADD dad and an over-energized mom). Here are some really cute photos of the many things I make Carter do...

This one was taken at a neighbor's house...so stinkin' cute!

This was so cute...Carter climbed up in this chair and began pushing buttons on the remote. When it starting moving the chair and vibrating, I couldn't get him out!
This is the latest phase for Carter....OREOS! He has never had an oreo before and I felt like a little snack...so I shared the great American art of snacking by dunking the oreos in milk. (as normal as this looks, the poor kid was dunking his Organic, dairy and wheat free "Newman O's " into my organic vanilla soy milk)
He had so much fun...I think he really loved that I was encouraging him to play with his food.