Is 13 Really a Lucky Number?

11/11/1994. Our wedding day exactly 13 years ago. We were blissfully in love, and blissfully naive (good thing). I remember our engagement and wedding so fondly. We had so much fun planing our wedding and our life together. I was definitely not looking to get married, but when I met Carter I KNEW. He was different from every boy I dated, a good different. My mom always said she thought we were soul mates. The last 13 years have not all been easy or without challenges. Marriage is definitely like a roller coaster, it has its ups and downs. What I appreciate about Carter is his willingness to improve and work on himself and our relationship. I hope I will always be willing to do the same. We went out to dinner and shopping last night. Today was the primary activity, so the day was spent in anxiety and frenzy. Last night Carter surprised me with roses and a new dress for the program. Thoughtful guy. We plan to officially celebrate next weekend when things have slowed down. I am so blessed to share my life with Carter. Here's hoping that 13 really is a lucky number.

One year Older and Wiser Too....Happy Birthday to You!

Today is Carter's 35th birthday-I love that he is older than me! What can I say about Carter that you don't already know? It seems like everyone likes Carter. He is quiet (unlike his wife), patient, agreeable, cheerful, and funny. I feel so blessed to have his calming influence in my life. My favorite thing about Carter is the wonderful father he is. He is a hands on dad for sure. He does baths, gets kids dressed, combs hair, does homework, plays, cleans, disciplines and spends lots of time with our kids, and never gets ruffled. They love him. When they get up in the night, they want Carter (yea!), when they get hurt, they want Carter, and when something exciting happens, they want Carter. Not all kids grow up with such an involved dad. He is blessed with a job that is very flexible. He often takes one of the boys to the job site, or makes it home for a game, or recital, or helps out at school. He lets our kids work along side him, and I can often hear him teaching them a life lesson or a gospel principal. He has a tender and loving relationship with his only daughter, he takes her and her giggly friends lots of places and always makes them feel welcome in our home. He is extremely popular with the tween girls. What a calming influence he has been in our family, it is a blessing to be around someone who never loses his temper, rarely raises his voice, and is constantly cheerful. What amazing gifts Carter is blessed with. Carter works hard to provide for our family, never thinking of himself and his own desires. He has willingly sacrificed so much for us over the years. Carter you are a joy to be around, a constant crack up, and great husband and father. Like good cheese, this guy just gets better with age. Happy 35th Carter! We love you!

Halleluiah, Halloween is Here...and Gone!

Since it is November 6th, I thought it was about time to blog about Halloween. We have been extremely busy around our house because of a fundraiser bake sale, and an upcoming primary program. More on those later. Halloween is always a fun time here, I love it, and the kids love it more. The festivities lasted extra long this year because of our ward's trunk-or-treat which was on the Saturday before Halloween. Carter and I dressed up this year--we just couldn't resist. Our costumes were especially poignant, because of where we live. If you have ever been to the Wal-Mart or Costco in St, George, you know exactly what I am talking about. We live in the land of the polygamists. Carter tried to find a sister wife, but we couldn't talk Courtney into dressing up. Too bad you can't see my Levi's under my dress and my sneakers. We had the most talked about costumes of the evening. Lately, our kids have been on a huge Star Wars kick, which is new to me, as I have never really been in to it myself. All of the kids wanted to be a Star Wars character, even Courtney. Courtney was Leia, Jackson was Obi Wan, Bowen was Darth Vader, and Coop was Yoda. They had a blast acting out the movies in their costumes. For family night, we dipped caramel apples for the kids teachers, and pretzels for the bake sale. On Halloween day, Yoda and I went to the elementary school to see Obi Wan and Vador in a Halloween parade. Obi Wan took Yoda along and lots of people made a fuss over them. Jackson said people kept saying how cute Cooper looked, but Cooper look at me and said "Mom doze yadies fink I am Shrek! (Those ladies think I am Shrek). Earlier in the morning I shut all the blinds, to make the house dark, and I "spooked" out the kitchen. There were spider webs, spiders, glowing lights, and terrifying music. The kids were excited to come home and see the transformation. I was dressed as a witch (not a stretch, I know) with orange and black striped tights, green hair and spider rings. We had an all orange dinner and started making doughnuts for later that night. Carter loaded the trailer on the four-wheeler, put hay on it and picked up most of the neighborhood kids. Off they went trick-or-treating. I stayed home to man the door and fry doughnuts for all the neighbors. It was so much fun. Our house was filled with all our friends and neighbors enjoying doughnuts and each others company. It was balmy weather, no coats, not even jackets! I love holidays, and I know why..I love being around all the people I love, doing something fun, breaking from the norm, relaxing, having fun....oh, and all the good food. Hope your holiday was full of fun too, bring on the turkey!

My First Tag

Thank you to my lovely cousin Emily for my first tag. This must be payback for always getting to "marry" her brother Scott when we played house. (We always fought over him, sorry Jeff.) Here are the rules:

1. The player lists 6 facts/habits about themselves - try to find 6 you haven't already posted about!

2. At the end of the post, the player tags 6 people and posts their names, and then goes to their blog and leaves them a comment, letting them know they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog for the rules.

* In my kindergarten class picture I was captured holding hands with the boy next to me. (I always liked boys A LOT)

* I am way funnier in a large crowd. Alone, not so much, just ask Cart.

* Carter is my favorite person to hang out with. I still call him too many times during the day. I still get butterflies before he comes home from work. Silly, but true.

* I always wanted to be a mom, and although it is not always easy, I absolutely love it. I have never once wished I was doing something else. There is honestly nothing I would rather be doing.

* When I was in high school, I organized a rally at the Utah State Capitol with over 1,000 high school students. We were instrumental in helping pass the "No Smoking in Public Places" bill.

* I am the only person I know who had, senior portraits, bridals, wedding photos, and an ultrasound, in the same year.

Now I'm done and chasing you down: TAG! Ashley Wood (you have to, you're my sister), Valarie Cluff, Liz Sullenger, Amber Peck (you obviously need a subject to blog about), Jonelle Morris, and Alisa Foy (I'm sure yours will be much more interesting).

Cooper's Three!

Super Cooper is Three!

Can you believe it! Time surely does fly when you're having fun. Cooper was born on "Octover 26" (as he likes to say it) 2003. He was born five weeks early, which I thought was a brilliant idea -at first. Brilliant that is, until I found myself surrounded by respiratory therapists and NICU doctors in the delivery room. Cooper entered the world in a whirlwind, and was whisked off to the NICU. He was cute right from the start. He was tiny, had dimples and the most clear blue eyes you have ever seen. Watching him struggle the first few days of his life, was honestly one of the most frightening and trying things I have experienced. He quickly recovered and we were overjoyed to bring him home. He was an easy, happy baby. He is calm, like his dad, happy and funny. This kid quotes Nacho Libre, Brian Reagan, and anything else that strikes him funny. Even at three, he really gets sarcasm. He cracks us up. I go shopping with some ladies in our ward, whose children are all grown. I always drag Coop along. He says " I wuuuuv shopping with the yadies." They love shopping with him too, they can't believe how he just sits quietly and enjoys himself. I really wanted Cooper to be a girl, I am so glad he was Cooper instead. For his birthday we had to make a quick trip up north, so when we arrived at Grandma Bowen's she had balloons, and cupcakes all ready for Cooper. We got to party with all the Bowen cousins. Later, we visited Build-a-Bear, where Cooper, without hesitation picked a turtle in a Jazz uniform. He has not put it away since. We had such a fun time. I think we enjoy Cooper so much because he is number four, maybe it is neglect, maybe we have calmed down, whatever it is, we all love him. Happy Birthday Super Cooper!

Passion

No, this post is not about Carter and I. My nine year old has it. I have never seen anything like it. A passion for the game of football. Jackson just cannot get enough. He plays it, he watches it, he listens to it, he collects football cards, he wants football jerseys and hats, and he never quits talking about it. It boggles my mind. How can a nine year old kid know so many stats? Carter loves sports too, but he is not one of those guys that absolutely cannot miss a particular game, or has a game on all the time. We rarely watch TV at our house, so it is not like Jackson has grown up over exposed to football. It seems as though he was born with the passion. Shortly after Jackson was born he took and insane liking to any kind of ball. Cute, right? Sort of. Until you hear "Mom, what if I don't make it to the NFL?" everyday. My response? "Jackson, we will talk about it after your mission. You might want to think of a back-up plan."















Jackson is good at sports. When we put him in soccer at age three, we were worried. He sat in the center of their field and stared blankly down the field, until he accidentally scored a goal and the crowd went wild. It was all downhill from there. He must have liked the attention. He loves to golf and has a great drive. He shoots hoops endlessly, he loves to skateboard, he is good at soccer, but doesn't really like it. He loves baseball, though it is not as action-packed as he likes. But football, my bony, little Jackson LOVES football. He just gets it, he knows how it works, on his team this year he called plays, explained to his team the fundamentals, and knew when the other team was going to "blitz" (whatever that means). He is torqued at me because a would not let him play tackle football this year. Besides the fact that it cost two hundred dollars and they practiced EVERY DAY after school, and had more that one game a week, he is skinny, fast, but really skinny. Do I want a nine year old with a knee of back injury, I think not. I know I sound like one of those over protective moms, but seriously, do we have to start all this already. Secretly I take pleasure in Jackson's success on the football field, I picture myself dressed in his high school colors, Carter next to me with Jackson's number painted on his bare, not so youthful chest, cheering, as Jackson leads his high school team to victory. Would I be disappointed if this did not happen, absolutely not. Jackson likes the piano, loves to read, and is a great student. Oh, and now he has a back up plan, he and Courtney are opening a dental office together (painted the Colts colors). He will find success, where ever he goes, if I can channel his football passion into whatever he does. Just think, I have two more just like him. Rah! Rah!

Two Great New Places to Visit!

Here are two new websites to check out. Just click on the underlined words to go straight to them. The First is my little sisters new venture, Hatties Decor. She is so crafty and cute. Her stuff is darling and I want one of everything. She is constantly coming up with new ideas, so check her store out often. The next is my amazing cousins new website, Toy Bugle. Jeff is living in New York and is a brilliant guy. This is his new endevor. The website is so fun, especially with Christmas just around the corner. It has really great ideas for kids. My cousin Emily is an editor and contributor, so it is a family affair. Now you can see why I am so very proud of my gene pool! (Not so shallow after all!)

Northern Exposure

Our family just returned from visiting up north. We had such a good time. It is fun and exciting to see everyone. It is always diffficult to come home and adjust to "real life". My mom is the best hostess. She is a great cook and always makes it challenging to "be good." My kids enjoy having breakfast at "Grandma's Restaurant", and are severely disappointed that there is no such thing as "Mom's Restaurant" when we return home. We always visit Grandma Richards. She is now 97 years old, and I thought she looked so great this trip. She is so bright and fun to visit with. My kids adore her and she always loves on them. I cannot believe how amazing she is. She was telling me how she visits the temple once a month, about her gospel doctrine class, her branch and her friends at the Charleston. She is such a fine example of enduring well. She is so faithful. We just love our Grandma! I feel so blessed that my children have the priviledge of knowing thier great grandma. While we were there we visited the Hanson Planetarium, the Children's Museum, Krispy Kreme, and the gateway.















These are all great places to go, especially because we don't have anything like them in St. George. I think that is a good thing, as I sit and balance the old checkbook. One of the highlights of the trip was our "girls day" with my mom and sisters. Courtney tended for us, great girl that she is. We went to lunch at a place in Salt Lake called Les Madeleine's, it is a little french bistro and bakery. It is famous for it's pastries and award winning pastry chef. This was particularly exciting for me because of my love of baking (especially pastries). They had some awesome desserts, and we tried a few new things. I came home with some new ideas to experiment with. After lunch we headed to Gygi's for some culinary shopping. I could have stayed there all day! Gygi's is one of my favorite stores in the world. They have anything and everything you need for the kitchen. I stocked up on dipping chocolate, parchment paper, doughnut cutters, cute food gift boxes,and a few other goodies. Then we were on our way to Tai Pan, that store is ginormous (that word is now in the dictionary)! They have their Christmas trees out and decorated, so it was fun to get some new ideas. It was a fun day and made me a little sad to realize how much I miss my mom and sisters. While we were in northern Utah we also visited Carter's mom and dad in their new house. It was a great house and seemed to fit them so well. Northern Utah was ablaze with brilliant fall colors, it was beautiful. Needless to say, we made some wonderful memories this weekend, and I will be behind on the laundry for a month.

Who's Down For A Mani Pedi?