Thanksgiving's (What a day!)

Josh and J.D. started out the day by getting up at 3:30 and going out with some friends duck hunting. Poor J.D. was so tired by the end of the day! Here are some pictures of J.D. with the ducks. These were on the cell phone, so they aren't the greatest pictures, but J.D. had a blast!

He was so tired!

So were Papa and Piper. All that turkey makes you sleepy!

Hey, who is that good-lookin' guy?

Playing the DS. Good thing he asked Santa for one :).

My proof I was there. I was bored, so I started snapping pictures.

After dinner we went shooting. Here is Tyson shooting my shotgun with a little help from daddy.

Tyson and his BB gun.

Running with the targets. He was chomping at the bit to start shooting.

Josh and JD setting up the bottles and targets to shoot.

Me and Piper shooting the BB gun. She was so cute. She wanted to do it so bad, but we didn't dare let here near anything other than the BB gun.

I love this gun. It's a 20 gauge and it's probably one of my favorite to shoot. I'm a pretty good shot with it. There were pictures of me shooting, but J.D. took them and well, I'm not likin' them, so no pictures of me. Sorry.

I love this picture. Piper is so funny and so cute.

It was a great Thanksgiving day. So much to be thankful for. Good food and family! Life doesn't get much better than that.

My Thankful List

I am thankful for so many things!! And each night when I say my prayers, I thank my Heavenly Father for allowing me to have such a life. To be so blessed. To have a beautiful home and to fill it with love, laughter and those I love.

I love this guy! I love him beyond comprehension and beyond any words that I could write. He is my best-friend and I can't imagine my life without him. If not for him, I wouldn't have my three beautiful children, my safe, warm house, food on the table, clothes on our backs, and the ability to do what I love to do best......be a mom. I love you Josh.

My mom! She is an amazing lady. She's been through so much in her life and I admire her so much for raising 4 semi-normal kids :) all by herself. She is just awesome and I thank her for all that she has given up for me and for my siblings. I love you, Mom!

This picture cracks me up. It is a perfect picture to capture one of my kids favorite things at Grandpa's house. Popsicles and Popcorn! Thanks to my wonderful in-laws for raising such a great son. He is amazing, in case you didn't know. Thanks for giving him 3 great sisters, who are all my friends. I love you Scott & Becky!

I am so thankful for my brothers. I don't see them much. Life gets way to busy.

But I love you guys all the same. And I am so thankful for all my Carter brothers. Glad that you don't need blood to be family. I am so blessed in that department. I am grateful today that Aaron is okay and that his surgery yesterday went well. Josh would be lost without his other half :).. I love you all! And for my Carter guy's I love your amazing wives! Some of my very best-friends! Love you ladies!

For my sister!!! I love this gal. Never imagined in high school that we would be such good friends. She is one of my best-friends. Love you sis!

I am thankful for J.D. His sweet little spirit. He is so tender hearted and so filled with compassion for everyone and everything. He is a good kid! I am so grateful for his smile and he genuine warmth and desire to do what is right. I love you J.D.

Our little Trollie. Piper is such a sweetie. She is into everything and there are days when I lose my cool with her, but I love her so much. I can't imagine my life without her sweet laughter and mischievous little grin. I love you Piper!

My sweet Tyson. This kid makes my heart melt. I don't know if it's because he is Josh in miniature or what. I just want to hug him all the time! One of my very FAVORITE things to do in this world is to tickle Tyson. He laughs and laughs and it's contagious. He is so sweet and so fun. I love you Tyson!

And I am so thankful for good friends. I have so many! I wish I had pictures of you all, but then, this post would be unbearably long and you wouldn't read all of it :). I am so blessed to have so many good friends in my life to lift me up and help carry me. You share my burdens and also my laughter. I am blessed and I love you all!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Jubilee of Trees

I took the kids to the Jubilee on Monday so that they could put in a vote on our tree. Which, by the way won!!! I'll post about that tomorrow. Anyway, we decided to take Baylee with us and they had a good ole' time!
Stick em' up!!

Had to get a picture of them in front of our tree.

Best buddies hanging out in the Life Flight Helicopter.

He is so cute.

She was so excited to be inside the helicopter.

One more in the Helicopter and then out to go check out the trees.

Of course, we had to get a snack from The Sweet Shop.

The kids were being so silly in the backseat. Especially Baylee!!!! I just turned the camera backwards and started snapping pictures.

Attractive, you guys!

Gotta admit, they are cute, cute kids!

We had a great time! The tree's were beautiful and the sweets good. Put us all in the Christmas spirit!

What a Week

It has literally been the craziest week for me. PTO has kept me hopping with this:
Isn't it the prettiest tree, you ever did see? My very talented friend Camilla did this. I helped out at the Jubilee 2 diffrent times this week. And then we had a PTO dinner that I ended up in charge of, but I didn't even get to enjoy it because I was:

at New Moon with Josh, Mandee and Adam. However this picture was taken the night before on Thursday at the Midnight showing. Mandee and I went the first time by ourselves and boy we are looking HOT!! Okay, so not so much, but it was late and well, it was late!! Well worth the 3 hour wait at the theater, the 2 hour movie and going to bed at 3:00 am.

My cute boys! My kids have been such troopers this week to put up with my crazy schedule.

Me having a I need a vacation moment. Ah Disneyland, how I miss you!

Last Saturday we went to the park and played in the freezing cold, windy weather. But the kids had a blast. It's nice every now and then to take a moment and sit back and relax.

Ummmm, yes, that is my son. What is he doing? I'm not sure!

And yes, that is my daughter in her pajama's and boots at the park. Some battles just aren't worth it.

Missing in Action

We haven't fallen off the face of the planet. In case you were wondering. I have been extremely busy with PTO. It seems like it all happens all at the same time!
My kids are still as cute as ever. J.D. is loving Zumba kids and is getting ready to start basketball! YEAH! Basketball is my favorite! I hope he likes it, but I think he's going to be a football player. Maybe lanky skinny Tyson will be my basketball player. Tyson is still kissing girls at preschool and just being a good boy. Piper is a whirlwind of destruction, but nothing new there. Cute little trollie!

This is what a big chunk of my time has been spent on this week. The Jubilee of Tree's. This is Red Mountain Elementary tree. Well, at least the top. It is beautiful. Camilla did a great job. I just unwrapped things and cut wire. She did all the masterminding and creating. It has been one of the funnest things I have done with the PTO. Just hope we win so the life flight helicopter will come to the school. Today I am volunteering over at the Jubilee by sitting in the school section. I am excited!

PTO dinner and parenting seminar tomorrow. I have been super busy working on that all week to. Plus I have about a dozen craft projects I need to get going on if anyone is going to get Christmas presents from this year!!!

Oh well, one day at a time!

Snuggle Buddies

Piper loves J.D. The minute she hears him get out of bed in the morning, she's running in to lay with him. It's pretty cute.

Where's J.D.?

I feel bad that I am always posting pictures of Tyson and Piper, but they both love the camera and J.D. is usually nowhere to be seen when I pull the camera out.

Love this kid. It doesn't even phase him to ride a pink scooter. Good thing he's asking Santa for one of his own!

Oh Cluck Cluck!! That chicken has been through Tyson and Piper. Tyson is not very happy at all that Piper has taken a liking to his Cluck Cluck. Poor chicken!

Things I Know

This is pretty deep for a blog entry, but this blog serves as a journal for my family and this is something I want my family to know.

I had a chance to go to Time Out For Women this weekend! What a great opportunity to be spiritually fed and to have my bucket filled. I left with the desire to be a better wife, mother, friend, sister and daughter of God.

The theme this year was Sweet Assurance, The certainty that comes when you know life's truths. What a beautiful thought. They gave each of us a card and asked us to write down some of the truths that we knew. Things that we would want our family to know, to remember. I thought about that all through out the day on Saturday and this is what I know:

I know that I am a daughter of Heavenly Father and He loves me. He has given me proof in so many way's. He has given us the gift of repentance and the atonement. That alone is proof enough that He loves us all.

I know that I love my husband passionately and I know that we can be eternal companions. I know that our family is eternal. That our beautiful, sweet children will be with us forever, if they choose to follow the path that Heavenly Father has given to us.

I know that being a mom is hard. It's the hardest thing I've ever done, but it is also the best thing that I have ever done. I know that I love my children fiercely, so I can only imagine how Heavenly Father loves all of us. I know that being a mother was a calling I accepted in the premortal life and I know that it is the most important thing that I could do with my life.

I know that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God. I have no doubt of that in my mind. I know that as surely as I know how to breathe. I know that the Book of Mormon came from God and that it was written and preserved to help those of us who live in these last day's. I know that answere can be found by reading from it's pages.

I know that good friends are hard to find. And I know that when you find a friend, you should keep them forever. Thanks girls for hanging out and spending the day being uplifted with me! I am so blessed to have so many wonderful women in my life to love me and to inspire me!