Big announcement...

While I'm in the blogging mode I guess I can officially announce that Kasey finally got an official job offer from NV Energy. Which means that we are going to be staying here for a long time to come. We feel very blessed and know that this is where we are supposed to be right now. Let the house hunting/property searching begin!!

Carter update

Can't help but love this face!

My poor, poor Carter. I know every Mom says that with each kid they take less and less pictures and all the little details about their development doesn't seem to find its way to paper. I swore I wasn't going to be like that haha. Jokes on me. I am going to try and remember some of them now. Here goes nothing lol.

Finally rolled over at 7 months.

I think he was crawling around a year.

Walking at 14 months. ( the slowest of all my kids in all these milestones and I loved it!)

First tooth at 9 months. (earliest my kids have ever cut a tooth. Big brothers were toothless on 1st birthday)

Currently has 4 front top teeth, 2 front bottom, and 4 molars.

Carter has a personality that seems to be a mix of his brothers. Not so easy going as Hunter, not so stubborn as Stockton.

He currently signs:

More, Eat, All done, Drink, Bath, Sleepy, and Milk.

Says cracker, nana (banana), no, uh-oh, dada, (I know there are more but I can't think of them right now.)

He loves his binky.

Weened himself off his bottle about a month ago.

Has special muslin blankets he can not sleep without.

Scratches like a mad cat to get your attention. I have the scars to prove it.

Hates cake! You would have thought I was feeding him lemons when he ate cake on his first birthday. Hated it!

Loves swimming but clings on to us for dear life.

Can not be rocked to sleep. He loves his bed and wants to just be put down and fall asleep on his own.

Was sleeping through the night around 4 months.

Looks like his daddy.

Understands almost everything you say and shakes his head yes and no when you ask him questions.

His latest thing is screeching about everything. A habit I hope we can soon brake.

Gets into every cupboard everyday and pulls everything out. So much for organization!

LOVES riding motorcycles!!! (this one scares me just a bit)

Is sooooo scared of dogs.

Yesterday I noticed him pushing a truck around making engine sounds. Such a boy.

I am sure there are tons of things I have forgotten but seems how I can't focus with him screeching at me and pulling everything out of the desk drawers as I type this I can't really focus anymore.

Its only hair... right?

I had a really hard time deciding whether or not to cut Carters hair. I loved his long gorgeous auburn hair with the cute little curls in back but I decided it was time to go. Mostly because it is so hot right now that it always looked sweaty and greased to his face and also because he was being mistaken for a girl a bit to often. Kasey had been bugging me to cut it for a while.

(partial mullet going on here)

It has been a bit strange adjusting to Carters new hair. I feel like I have a new child. He looks so much older and I think a whole new attitude came with it. (think terrible two's!)

New hobby

The boys have a new hobby. I am not gonna lie it scares me a little but I am letting them spread their wings. They are loving it!

Vataction

Living here in the desert has its perks, I mean who really wants to deal with snow in the winter and freezing cold weather? At least that is what I tell myself in the summer when its over 110 degrees outside! So with those kind of temps we take every chance we can to escape the heat. Our most recent adventure took us to Utah/Idaho. Here's the breakdown:

Thursday June 30th: Leave at 7pm for UT (after Kasey got off work). Arrive at 2:30am.

Friday: Decide that the baby needs a new front facing carseat for the drive to Idaho later that day. Purchase new seat and load up camping gear/motorcycles/ATV's and head for ID about 2 hours behind schedule at 6pm. Get on the road and about an hour later the car troubles start. Realize our battery is not charging and figure alternator is probably going out so decided to turn around and head back to salt lake. Lose dashboard and power about 15 miles from destination. Regain speed and continue on side roads hoping to make it but finally die about a mile away. Tow the car to destination and unload all our luggage/camping equipment and decide that we will leave in the morning instead.

Sat: Leave about 7am and have a nice drive to Driggs, ID. Set up tent and battle off the hundreds of mosquitos that are attacking us. The boys had the time or their lives learning to ride motorcycles and four wheelers.

Sun: Kayaking, breaking beaver dams, and more 4 wheeling/motorcyle riding. Lots of fun. (not our normal sunday activities) Return home Sunday night. Too bad I left my camera in the car the entire time! I am lame.

(Carters first ride in his new seat)

Mon: Took the boys to Cars 2 and enjoyed fire works that evening. The boys LOVED lighting off fire works. We even scared a little garden snake out of its hiding place and had some fun holding it.

Scared this snake out of hiding with our fireworks. Everyone had to take turns holding it.

(We're all about safety first)

Tues: Wash cars in the morning then the boys went to laser tag with Dad.

Wed: Stockton loses his first tooth while bathing. Majorly exciting for him. Then we were

off to Lagoon. Tuns of fun. Lots of roller coasters. Stockton and I rode the catapult.

Thurs: Relax a little after all our busy days.

Fri: Boys get their very own motorcycles. Hunter a Kawasaki 110. Stockton a Yamaha 50. Thank you Papa Ben your the best!

Sat: Load up and come home. It's always a sad day when the vacation is over and you have to get back to real life!

Rainbow Fish

I am trying to do a little bit of catch up on the blog. I have been a terrible blogger lately. Sometimes I hold myself back because I am not a fantastic photographer and most of the time I draw a complete blank when I sit down to write a post. But lets face it, this is not for anyone else out there but me and my family to remember things that will more than likely be forgotten if I don't keep up on this blog.

So here is Stockton in all his glory with his rainbow fish he entered into the fair. He got a nice big green ribbon for it. I don't even know what place that is or anything but we all thought it was pretty neat. lol

Cake

I made this cake a while ago for a cake auction to raise money for scout day camp for Hunter. I had so much fun making it and it was a huge hit with everyone. It was a triple layer chocolate cake surrounded with pirouette cookies and topped with chocolate covered strawberries. Deelish!