A Look Back

I was going through old photos and found this video of Blake making Carter laugh.  Carter was 6 months old on this day.   Blake still makes Carter laugh like that.

Today's Art

As Carter was drawing he was telling me what it was.  

He was very deliberate in his motions as he would say, "A", "sun", "worm".  

It totally freaked me out.  Can you figure out which is which?  Hee, hee.

My angel

No words needed here

He's so cheesy

Carter loves his Annie's shells and cheese!

This look cracks me up

Cheese!

Toddlers are strange

Toddlers are natural explorers.  I know this.  I love this.  I have rediscovered so many things through Carter.  It's wonderful.

I'm not sure, however, what could have prompted Carter to stick carrots on his face.   He just kept saying, "eye brow".  

I grabbed my phone since my camera was upstairs.  I know taking a picture encourages the behavior, but common, how could I not take a picture.  

Toddlers are strange.

Success with the first carrot.  The other side would not stick for some reason.  Drats.

Official Santa photo

Brian and I always prepare ourselves for potential disaster when it comes to having a toddler.  About 80% of the time we are pleasantly surprised.  

Carter being 20 months old is just the right time for him to be terrified of Santa Clause.  We were ready to accept our photo with Santa may not be any good.  

We could not have been more correct.

Drury University has an annual Breakfast with Santa.  It provides and activity and interaction with Santa and Mrs. Clause for their employees and Alumni with children.  It's a wonderful gig.

Last year Carter let Santa hold him for a minute.  We were so excited.  Tears running down our cheeks as it was our first Christmas with our son.  When it was time to sit him on Santa's lap for the official photo, Carter was not into it.  Oh well.

This year, 2008, Carter was NOT into it.  

As Santa made his rounds from table to table Carter looked at him.  Intrigued at the large man in red.  I had Carter standing on a chair so he could see.  (27 pounds gets heavy fast.)

Here is the moment.  Santa is walking and leaning toward Carter.....I am starting to cry sentimental tears and then Carter screams.  He jumps away from Santa trying to find me and lands face first on the chair next to him.  

Santa and Mrs. Clause are trying to see if he is ok and Carter is just plain freaking out.  I couldn't even get the words out..."get the heck out of here!" 

My sister, brother-in-law and niece Caelyn were with us.  Caelyn was so excited to see Santa.   But when she saw Carter wig out, she too, decided Santa was terrifying.  I felt so bad.

Brian and I decided it would be ok for Carter to sit on Santa's lap as long as we were in the picture too.  

I still have the giggles thinking about thay morning and really hope Carter is not traumatized for life.  *sigh*

At the cabin

My dad has a cabin in Texas County.  Several of us headed over there for the rest of the Thanksgiving weekend.  All of the children and my sister Katy ended up getting a stomach virus.  Several people in our family had the nasty bug.  

It was our first all night, throwing up sickness with Carter.  It was so sad.

Papa, Blake and Carter.  They can't leave with out a tractor ride.

Blake and Caelyn found some 4-wheeler helmets.  

The cousin's are tired after a big Thanksgiving.  They were ready for some down time.

Carter can't get enough of his cousin, Blake.  He wants to be next to him and do everything his does.  Blake can make him laugh so hard.  It makes me laugh.

Carter resting and playing with Papa

The day after

Brian and I made breakfast for all the over night guests from Thanksgiving.  I was busy that morning, but did take a few cute photos of our little punkin. 

Carter can't get enough of his Papa

Aunt Angie trying to get a moment with Carter

Carter and his cousin Blake relaxing and watching "Finding Nemo"

Forever Thankful

Thanksgiving Day has always been my favorite holiday.  It's the one day when 90% of my family is together.  Through tragedy, death and birth, my family binds together.  We know this is true throughout the year, but a holiday gives us permission to stop our busy lives and share a day together.

The past two Thanksgivings have been extra special.

We have Carter.

The past eight years Brian and I have watched my cousin's have babies, then my sister's have babies.  They have all watched us as we have tried to have babies.   I see the way people look at Carter and then at us.  It's the quiet nod that means so much.

  

Thanks to love and support of my family I am forever thankful.

Forever Thankful-Photos

Thanksgiving Day is always special.  Our family tradition is to go to my Dad's house.  As families grow, so do the number of guests in my dad's house.  This year I think we had 41 people ranging from age 80 something to 11 months old.  My sister and two of my cousins are expecting babies with in the next two months.  Next year will be an even more blissful chaos.

    

Our attempt to get a cousin photo

All but 2 of my cousins

The annual dog pile following the cousin photo shoot

Grandma Kirkman, her grand children and great grand children

Carter found the Mardi Gras beads

Forever Thankful-Photos

Wednesday evening my sister's and our families had dinner with my mother.  She spoils her grandchildren as you would expect any grandmother to do.  I managed to keep Carter away from the table while she dished out the ice cream after dinner!  He has not had that much sugar and I know he loves ice cream.  He would have been a mess.  I however had my fair share and it was sooooooo good.

My mother has a piano and the kids have recently discovered this.  Brooke is only 11 months old and didn't join in the "playing" of the piano, but Blake, Caelyn and Carter had a ball.  We all commented on how they didn't bang on it.  They actually used their fingers.  The piano was what kept Carter busy during the ice cream binge.

We couldn't leave Brooke out of this cute photo!

Fall colors

2008 - My handsome men.

2007 - A daddy in love with his son!

2008 - such a little boy now

2007 - I just want to kiss him all over!  Oh wait, I do that all the time!!!

2008

2007

I love making sure we take similar photo's year to year so we can really see the change in Carter. As we did last year, we took Carter to Maple Park Cemetery  for some gorgeous Fall pictures. I wish we had some with the three of us, but Brian and I have to take turns with the camera. Oh how Carter has grown.

Halloween 2008

Silly Spider of 2007

Grandma, Carter and Mama

See how fun it can be to have your pumpkin on!

I am glad I have another year before Carter understands the whole candy thing.  He doesn't know what it is and I want to keep it that way for as long as possible!!  That being said, he was the cutest little pumpkin ever.  We did have to pull a few tricks to get him to wear it.  The first one didn't work so well.  Daddy put it on to show him how fun it could be.  That didn't work.  Then we said we were going on a walk.  One of his favorite things.  The catch was it was cool out and he had to put on his pumpkin "jacket".  HA!  That worked.  We went Trick-or-treating and went to see grandma at her work and went to a party.  Fun was had by all.

Walking in the rain

One day it was raining outside.  Carter wanted to go out so bad, daddy grabbed an umbrella so they could go out.  Of course Carter had to walk.

18 Months

Loving his first leaf pile of the season~so is my sister's dog!

We didn't even tell him to run into the pile or throw leaves.  He just started doing it! His cousin followed suit.

I'm one and a half years old!

He looks like such a big boy in this photo.

Well, Carter is 18 months old.  It's a very exciting time because he is really working hard to use words.  His vocabulary has exploded.  He is physically able to do so much.  We are just having a ball!  I could go on and on with all the little details, but there are not enough gigabytes or whatever they are called to hold all the bragging from this proud mama.

10 years of Bunny

I can't believe what I am about to type.  

Brian and I have been married for 10 years.  

Wow.

I can still remember the first time I felt "interested" in him.  It was at a Halloween party on the James River 12 years ago.  He was sitting in a circle of friends by the fire pit.  I was listening to him tell stories and I ended up being drawn closer to him.  I was laughing so hard.  I thought he was so funny.  

I knew he had been dating a nurse, so my conversation starter was this:  "So, how's that nurse your are dating?"

Pretty slick huh?

He informed me they broke up a couple of months earlier.  The rest as they say is history in the making.

Bunny and I have had the best time of our lives.  We have been weekend lake goers, spontaneous trip makers and European travelers.  

Now we are parents.  What adventures lie ahead for Honey and Bunny?

Our First Family Vacation

Georgette and Clint with Brogan and Teagan at Krazy Hoarse...a great A frame on Littlefield Lake, MI.

Clark, and Lisa with their son Grant and our little Carter in Ohio.

In August, Brian, Carter and I got in our big, green van and headed North.  We were going to Michigan to visit my dear friend Georgette and her family.  Then we were going south to Ohio to see Brian's buddy, Clark and his family.

Carter was a dream traveler.  I know we won't be so lucky on our future trips, but we were certainly grateful for how easy he was this go around.

Our First Family Vacation-meeting Carter's birth families

While we were in Michigan we wanted Carter's birth families to see him.  When we first adopted Carter, all parties involved decided we would stay in touch.  

We met Carter's birth father, John for the first time.  Also John's dad, Doyle.  I was able to meet John's mother, Kathy, right after Carter was born.  

Kathy gave Carter some great books and a Little People farm house.  Honestly, he looks at those books every single day and plays with his farm too.  John showed us some photos of him as a baby and growing up.  When Carter asks who he looks like, I will be able to tell him he looks like a lot like John.  However, he looks a lot like Jessica too.  Certainly a mix of two lovely human beings.

Brian and I thought our visit's went great.  There were some nerves to be dealt with, but geez, who wouldn't be nervous?  I was terrified!  

I feel as though I have extended my family into the great state of Michigan.  It may be a bit more complicated, but seriously, who's family isn't complicated these days?

Birthfather's mother, Kathy (Carter LOVES the books and farm he got from Kathy)

John, birthfather.  His dad, Doyle in the background

Carter and Kathy

Brian, Carter, me and John

Carter's birthmother, Jessica

Jessica's sisters and mom

Me, Carter and Jess