Summer Adventures

This summer we were busy and had a lot of fun! Carter turned three in May! Just a few days later Brad fiished his first year of law school. We then drove out to Arizona to spend some time with my family. Brad stayed for a week and then had to come back to start summer classes and work at the Texas Innocense Project. The kids and I stayed for a whole month!
We discovered Joy Land! A small, sort of creepy carnival type, but lots of fun place in Lubbock. Carter loved all the rides and was tall enough to ride every roller coaster. He is such a cute boy and loves to do stuff with his Dad!

While we were in Arizona Carter took swim lessons! He did so great and it was cute to watch. He now loves to practice in the tub!

Livy was such a tropper this summer. Just two weeks after we got back from Arizona we moved into a house, closer to Texas Tech. Hopefully being closer to the school will help us see Brad a little bit more this coming year. Just two days after we moved Livy and I flew out to Utah and Brad and Carter drove out there. We had a wonderfully family reunion with my family, and Brad's sister and brother-in-law finally got to meet the kids! I decided I love Utah! The weather was so nice and it was green and there is family there and lots of things to do!

This picture is of Carter at the Phoenix Zoo. He is such a good helper and loves to make Livy Smile! Just ten days after we got back to Texas, Brad's parents came out for a visit! We had so much fun with them!

We have just two weeks left before Brad starts his second year of law school. I am hoping that not being sickly pregnant and super tired with a new born will make for a better year. I am nervous for the year to start back up but we had a perfect summer to hopefully help get us through!

Family Pictures

We got family pictures done last week and I love how they turned out! Here are some of my favorites. This is my blog so I can say that I have the most beautiful children in the world! but really I do!! I love my little family!

Carter's Birthday!!

Carter and Averie meeting Chuckie! He did some silly dances with them and they were so cute, dancing and laughing the whole time!

Carter had been affraid of tunnels and slides and such in the past but Averie tells him to be brave! He likes them much better now!

Carter turned 3 on friday!!! I can't believe how fast time has gone! He is the sweetest most loving, caring boy in the world! For his birthday we went to Chuckie Cheese with his friend Averie, who he loves. They play so well together I love it. When Brad was done with his final on friday we did cake and presents at home. Carter got a bean bag chair, which he LOVES!

The past three years have been a huge challenge with Carter's health problems. From the time he was born till now he has been to hundreds of doctors appointments, had every test imaginable run on him. It is a little sad to me when he plays doctor and tells me he is checking my blood pressure and wants to know how my reflux is feeling, seriously a 3 year old should not know what that means!! But he is so brave and had gotten so big and strong! We don't know why he can't sleep, but we have a lot of theories about some of the steroids he was on as a baby that are now being discovered to lead to serious sleep disorders. Even when we are up all night with him, he is so cute and loves to cuddle. He is such a great helper and big brother too! I can't imagine my life without him, there where times when he was first having health problems that I prepared myself for the worse, and everytime Heavenly Father blessed us and has let us keep him here with us! I love my little guy!!!!

Random Fun

Fun Dino tails Grandma Parkin made!

Loves her picture taken

Carter helped dog sit his best friends two dogs and they gave him this kitchen when they got back!

They always look so cute before we go to church, but something on the car ride there turns them into monsters:)

Loving the smiles!

Love these Kids!!

Olivia is such a good sleeper she sleeps about eight hours a night! It is so nice! Carter is reading more and more books, he memorizes books and then reads them to me- it was really cool to watch him learn. Brad is super busy with the last few weeks of law school, which law school really sucks so if you are ever considering going don't do it when you have kids! That is my little I hate law school plug for the week! But otherwise life is going pretty good, I can't wait to go to Arizona in May. The kids and I are going to stay for a few weeks since Brad will be busy with his internship and school. Carter is really excited because he gets to take swim lessons so he has been practicing in the tub! We have our five year anniversary in a few weeks!! I can't believe how fast five years went. Life is good!

Spring is Finally Here!

My Mom came and it was wonderful!

Livy is such a happy baby now that she is finally better from two weeks with RSV!

Carter is the best kid ever, really he is such a good helper and cute happy little boy!

Olivia's Baby Blessing

upside down but so cute! this was my dress when I was blessed!

So these pictures loaded weird and I don't have time to fix them but you can still see how cute my kids are! Olivia's blessing was wonderful, we had so many great friends come and support us! We wish our family could have come but we will see them again soon. I can't believe how fast Livy is already getting big. I feel like we have so many first time milestones to go through with her because by the time Carter was eight weeks old he was in the hospital and on his heart monitors, so we are learning how to deal with a healthy baby who can go outside! We love them both so much!

Baby Girl!!

proud big brother

i love girl clothes!

Grandma!

Olivia Anne was born on December 29, 2010 at 4:55 she weighed 8lbs 8oz and was 21 inches long. She is an angel and we are so glad she is finally here! Carter is a wonderful big brother and loves to help with everything! Both Grandmas came and were huge help, we couldn't have done it without them! I can't believe I have two wonderful kids, life just keeps going!!

Christmas Fun!

Carter got to meet Cowboy Santa! (Only in Texas) We also got to decorate gingerbread men, make reigndeer puppets, get snowman tatoos, and watch a Christmas train! It was a lot of fun!

Halloween!!

Carter and Jaxon carving pumpkins

Science Center Halloween Party

Jackpot!

Lubbock Adventures

Picking Apples at Apple Country

So Proud!

Doing "Law School" homework with Dad