40 days

Where do I start? I'm new to the blogging world so I figure the best way to go is by updating these past three weeks of being facebook'less.

Week 1-

Allie turns ONE. Really. One? Where has the time gone? Having extra time on my hands now that I'm not browsing random status updates, I decided to get the kids photo albums in order. I have been putting it off since she was born. After sorting through about a thousand pictures, labeling them, and sticking them into photo albums, I reflected on how much has changed in the few 365 days that had passed since her birth. Allie is truly the sweetest, happiest little girl we know. I have no doubt that she will be a nurturer all the days of her life.

The day following her birthday I had the kids 1 and 3 year portraits taken in Ft. Worth. Carson was on the move constantly, the poor photographer had to have been exhausted. By the end of the session, Allie was tired and cold but we got some really cute pics of her crying with her birthday ballons.

Week 2-

Trip to Fredericksburg. The last trip we made there it was 15 degrees and the most miserable few days of my life. Carson thoroughly enjoyed the trip. Mom and Oma adopted a pig that Carson named "Sparkley." Somehow, this massive animal managed to escape out of the pen. Mom spotted him out and said she'd go put him up. The sheepdog, which is more like a bark and chase it's shadow dog, got out of the yard when she opened the gate and proceeded to chase the pig and bark. The pig was clearly smart and knew no danger was immenent so he just lazily walked around the area sniffing and rooting up land. In the mean time, Oma and Mom are screaming for the dog to go home and trying to lure the pig back in the pen with a bucket of feed. Carson was in the middle of it all by this time and I was watching from the porch with Allie. I decided to go help so I loaded Allie into the Polaris and drove down. Once I parked, Sparkley decided it was time for a spa day. He rubbed and rolled around on the tires of the Polaris for a few minutes. The dog is still barking, the women are still yelling, and Carson is chasing the dog. Eventually Sparkley decided all the excitement had him heated so he headed for the water trough. He's slow as a turtle so Oma caught him and put his nose in the bucket. He was not interested in the least. Off to the trough. One hoof in, the next, splash. Sparkley rolled and rolled in the water for 3 or 4 minutes. Occassionally he'd stand up and shake himself off only to get everyone coated in mud. Mom had captured the lunitic dog by this point and she held on to her collar for dear life. The dog pulled and pulled until she magaged to get out of her collar. Once Sparkley decided he had enough of his bath, he headed back to the Polaris (this time he had more perk in his step, the bath clearly helped) and proceded to rub his back on the tires again. Once he was finished he walked back to his pen and ate the feed Oma had been working so hard at lureing him with. Allie and Carson clearly need to live on a farm. It was too much excitment to handle.

If you own a tractor, Carson will ride it. No questions asked. Any visit we make to a persons home he will ask if they have a tractor. Since Mom lives on a farm, you guessed it-tractor rides. Most of the time he has to ride multiple times a day. Here's Carson the weekend we visited with his favorite Nana.

Many of you have been wondering what Carson has managed to destroy lately. Surprisingly, very little. He's actually been fairly good. Gasp. I know. He has been throwing out some pretty funny little tidbits in conversation. I've been trying to teach him about strangers, scary people, who not to talk to, not to touch dogs he doesn't know, etc. If you know Carson, you know he's not scared of anything. My biggest fear is that this will cause him to wander off without an adult, get hit by a car, etc. So one morning he had managed to spill a juice box all over himself and I decided it was easier to give him a bath and start over for the day. He was in the bathtub and I would ask him "Is ______scary?" and then prompt him to answer. I said, "Is mommy scary?" and he smiled with the biggest grin and said "Noooo, mommy is a nice little girl." So that's his latest thing. Everyone is either a little girl or a little boy no matter how old they are. He has trouble saying "L"s and this has caused us some embarasment in public. Anywhere we go that has a clock he will point it out and say the word without the "L." No need to elaborate. A trip to Sams during this week was a disaster. He had to potty and when I took him into the stall he totally missed the mark and managed to pee all over the stall and floor. The ladies in the other stalls found it amusing as I was trying to get him under control and eventually the mess cleaned up. Thank God for paper towels. I told Justin he was in charge of potty breaks from this point on.

Week 3-

We made a trip to Waco to see baby Kade. Amanda, my best friend and roomate from college, had him on March 1st. It was such a joy to visit with her. Kade is adorable and such a good little baby. He never cried the entire time.

This morning I recieved some terrible news from an old and dear friend of mine that her brother passed away yesterday evening. This is right during the time that they are spending the last few days with their mother who is dying from cancer. My heart and prayers go out to her and her wonderful family.

Speaking of bad news-- this reminded me of the news story I saw a few weeks back of the family who lost their 7 children in a house fire. I don't think that it could get worse than this. If you didn't see the news, here is a link to one story... http://www.wsws.org/articles/2011/mar2011/fire-m10.shtml

One of my favorite verses is from John 14:27

"Peace I leave you, my peace I give you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid."

I conclude with a little clip of some brotherly assistance