Birthday Boy

Happy Birthday Carter!

New floors!!!!!

It all started with repainting the living room.....from there it became, "we need (using the term 'need' loosely) new couches". Then since the couches won't be delivered for a week or so, we might as well move all the other furniture out and re-do the floors (which still had the original finish on them). So began our DIY project.
Just sanding them made them look 10times better! Sanding was a pain in the rear, then we had to go through the whole house and fill all the cracks, and then sand again, and again, and I think again. Then we had to stain, then 3 coats of polyurethane and sanding between all coats. You get the idea.
So we have been living in the basement for about 2 1/2 weeks now and using pretty much only clothes that we had in the laundry room, or that we can reach (since our dressers are crammed into carter's room). Fun.
And now that we're done, we get to dust every single thing (even all the walls and doors) and move it all back. Anyone want to come over and help with any 'spring cleaning' ? ;)

so this is Carter trying out the sander with his favorite boots, way cool ear muffs, and Alex the lion.

we are totally about child-proofing for our kids. NOT! Extension cords aren't that bad, right?

more child labor. (after posing for this picture, he dropped the nail gun on the floor and took out a nice chunk. Matt handled it really well though.)

the newest picture of our "new living room". (the couches aren't very photogenic) Doesn't it look a million times better and more cozy?!?!? Great job Matt!

the boys

Ok. Is it just me, or does Cooper look like Kevin from The Office here? ;)

Cooper is 8 months old now, and already has a tooth (not shown in picture). He is still the easiest going kid I have ever met. He loves yogurt, carrots, paper (whoops), and watching his big brother run in circles around him.

Carter has been taking swim lessons from a very hunky swim instructor (matt). At first he still didn't like being in the water unless you were holding on to him, but now can swim from one end to the other with a floatie on! He even puts his head under the water and doesn't cry!

Kudos swim instructor Dad!!!

my awesome husband

Matt has been wanting to build a play set for the boys for a long time, so one day he decided he was going to get at it. Good thing I am not in charge of planning, because I would have waited for nicer weather (like spring time?!?) and we wouldn't have had this really cool play house yet! He did a really good job of building it. I think it is the sturdiest play house you will find. He designed it all in his head, well, he did show me a sketch prior to all the construction. Ladies (and men for that matter) try not to be too jealous of how awesome my husband is at everything! ;)

We did have one nice day last week and decided to have Carter's friends over to play on it. They all seemed to enjoy playing on it, and the baby siblings seemed to enjoy just being outside. It was nice to get out of the house.

He also had some 'spare time' to finish the mantle for the fireplace that he had tiled last year. How does he come up with such cool stuff?!?

Cooper's 1st Christmas

two handsome brothers

Cooper trying to take down the Christmas tree.Carter and Bubba riding in Carter and Cooper's new wagon from Grandma and Grandpa

We had a mostly relaxing Christmas. We spent Christmas eve over at my parent's house to eat our traditional pizza and watch a movie (this year was Wall-e) after our church service. When we got home the boys got to open 1 present under the tree (which was their Christmas pj's) then it was time for bed. After sleeping in, we all got up and ate some yummy breakfast casserole that I made and opened presents and stockings. We don't really do a lot of presents, just a few stocking stuffers (candy of course) and 1 or 2 things to unwrap. We want the boys to think of Christmas as giving and not getting. We just want to follow the example that was given to us, by God giving us the most important thing of all, His only baby boy. Not that we have a problem with how any body else 'does' Christmas. And on top of all that, the kids don't really 'need' anything so the movies and little cars got the reaction we were looking for anyway.

So after all that, we decided to start a new Christmas tradition this year of sitting in the ER and watching 'the Christmas movie'. This is why I said at the beginning that is was a 'mostly relaxing Christmas. Matthew hadn't been feeling well and had been waking up the past 2 nights looking for some pain killers. On Christmas Eve I told him that I thought it was either strep or an ear infection, either way he needed some antibiotics and that he needed to find a walk in clinic somewhere to get it checked out. Well I guess it was more important to him for us to make it to our church for the service than to mess with all that. So...Christmas day I finally drug him to the ER where they confirmed that it was indeed an ear infection and prescribed an antibiotic and some pain meds. :)

We did make it back to my parents house for most of the festivities that evening. Now that all my sisters have significant others (married or engaged) we played kind of a newlywed game that was really fun. Some of the couples enrolled in some counseling after we were done though. ;)

Hope you had a peaceful Christmas and are ready for the new year!

Colorado 2008

Our trip was great (as usual). Well, it's kinda hard not to be great because, let's face it, everything in Colorado is awesome! The drive there was not as great. We drove through white-out conditions, but Matt did a great job of getting us through it alive. :) It was very cold the entire trip and inspite of all my 'extra padding' I couldn't go outside the hotel without every inch of myself covered. This was Cooper's 1st time to see Colorado.(unless you want to count being in my belly as the 1st time) My mom got to be the desiginated babysitter this trip, but other than that nothing really out of the ordinary happened. We skiied the same runs, ate at the same places, sat in the same hot springs, stopped at the same gas stations..... so I won't go on and on. ;)

so enjoy the few pics we took.

Thanksgiving 2008

We had a good Thanksgiving with Matt's side of the family. We got to spend two days at the cabin with his mom and sister (and her family) then went to Silver Dollar City for one day and then got to celebrate the holiday with his dad.

I couldn't decide which pictures to post so hope you don't mind the slide show. :)