Sweet 16 + 14

Happy 30th Birthday Matt!

To help celebrate the moment, here is a list of 30 things Matt is doing right now.

1. sleeping in with Carter 2. snoring so loud Jamie is already up 3. looking forward to the new year 4. reading The Last Lecture out loud with Jamie 5. wondering what to do after football season is over 6. knowing that there is always another sport to quickly pick-up where football left off 7. working on my Bronco 8. learning how to remodel houses 9. eating late night snacks 10. becoming more cost-conscious 11. playing cars with Carter 12. already trying to plan a summer trip 13. watching Disney movie after Disney movie with Carter 14. Looking forward to spring so we can play outside again 15. Looking forward to summer so we can take the Broncos top off and DRIVE 16. wanting another baby to love 17. wanting it to snow so I can snow shoe 18. and build a snowman with Carter 19. wanting to move 20. love coming home and hearing two little feet hit the floor to run to me 21. opening the door and finding that Carter is hiding in the same spot every night and saying "I hide, I hide" 22. loving mint chocolate chip anything 23. looking forward to family coming over 24. love wearing jeans 25. trying to raise Carter the best that I can 26. listening to Jamie and her continuous dreams of redecorating 27. wanting to go back to school 28. wanting to get back in the routine of working out 29. milkshakes 30. wandering what I will be doing in the next 30 years.

Merry Christmas

Hope you all have a very blessed Christmas full of wonderful times with friends and family.

ps....I found this song and LOVE it. Please turn it up and LISTEN!!

How sweet it is

So one day last week I had this terrific idea to make a gingerbread train with Carter, a now 22 month old. With green icing everywhere and little candies scattered about, I began to think "what was I thinking". But then, I saw how much fun he was having and how excited he was to be making a train. The expressions on his little face made it well worth all the cleaning up. And even more worth it was to see how completely excited he was to show daddy his creation when he got home from work.

Breakfast with HoHo

This past weekend we took Carter to Breakfast with Santa at the Ayres Tea Room at the Indiana State Museum. Every day since the Polar Express he has been asking for "hoho" and you would know the morning that we wake him up to go to breakfast with Santa he says "no". Great....this ought to be a blast. And it was! Once we got there he was all smiles and again asking repeatedly for "hoho".

As soon as he sat on Santa's lap, without hesitating I might add, he immediately starting saying "choo, choo" and "truck". I guess those are just a few of his little request and I am almost certain that Santa will do his best!!
We all pose for a little family photo!

He, however, wasn't too fond of Mrs. Claus. Notice how he is keeping a watchful eye on her and I couldn't put him down either, so there, a picture of me, Carter and Mrs. C.

Carter and daddy sit patiently as the artist draws a caricature of Carter.

Here is Carter showing off his picture. He kept saying, "me, me"....yes Carter that is you with blond hair...what?!?!
Any how, it is still cute!

Gosh, can you tell we have a kid that is slightly in to trains. Every place we go we end up taking a train ride to something. This was the holiday train at museum that circled in front

of Santa's house and workshop. Too cute!

This time daddy got to ride!!

ALL ABOARD!

Last Friday we made our way over to Connersville, IN for the Polar Express Train Ride. We took along a few friends, Nana and Papaw, and Auntie Holly and Uncle Justin and of course Ceili and Keaton....we had a blast. We all know that Carter is slightly obsessed with trains and since it is the holiday season we thought this was a perfect fit. Little did we know, how completely cute and awesome this experience would be. Truly for Christmas believers of all ages!

ALL ABOARD!!

The train was refinished from end to end to mimic the train in the book. From the sign in the front to the peddler ghost on top (well he actually walked inside to see the kids) to the chefs serving hot chocolate and cookies inside, the volunteers that prepared this special event took every detail into consideration and really made it a special night all about the kids.

Above Carter poses with the conductor before hopping on the train!

Even down to the golden tickets that the conductor came to each and every child to hole punch with their first initial....these people didn't forget a step. How neat to have the book and the movie and now the special golden ticket with the letter "C". I was probably a little more excited than Carter and I thought that it was so neat I actually teared up a bit.

Here we are getting ready to enjoy the countryside train tour....notice Carter is even sporting Christmas PJ's.

Auntie Holly, Uncle Justin, Ceili, Keaton and yeap that is Papaw too!

Carter and his Nana and Papaw

I am so glad that they were able to join us and watch the kids giggle with delight and stare with complete awe of Santa's North pole Workshop.

Ceili and Carter are modeling their PJ's

Carter gets to visit with Santa....for like 5 minutes! It was honestly the longest and most talkative encounter I have ever seen with a Santa and Carter loved it. Now every time he sees a picture of Santa he says, " I want, a HoHo!"

Here's Keaton enjoying his Christmas cookie

and to say good-bye, here is one of Carter and Ceili watching Santa meet with other kiddos. Isn't it sweet how completely in awe they are of him. They must have sat there for what seemed like forever just watching....and to think that they even got to bring home a bell as a reminder of their night at the North pole....now that is for believers!!

I hope that sometime during this holiday season we can all have a moment with a childs heart and truly believe and envelop ourselves, not only in Santa, but in CHRISTmas!!

Circle City of Lights Celebration

And so, here it is. One of the traditions I look forward to the most, going downtown to watch the lighting of the world's largest Christmas Tree! With live music, Santa, and tons of people all there to welcome winter and kick-off the holiday season, we bundle up and get cozy down on Meridian St and wait patiently for the count down!

Despite the blank stare on his face, Carter really was excited to see the tree and hear all the music.

The Magers hanging out and smiling pretty!


Our clan, minus the moms, pose for a picture or maybe more like 20! say cheese!

oK, so my sister Holly and her family were there also but due to an expected potty break by a 3 year old about 2 minutes prior to countdown I was unable to get their picture in front of the tree but they were there and we had fun so really that is all that matters.

Happy 30th and HoHoHo

came a little early this year!!

Matt has been completely obsessed with Broncos since well, ever since I can remember and I am told that his slight interest in Broncos actually started when he was 16. So, we have gone to Iowa and Michigan and as close as Greenwood in hot pursuit for the "perfect" Bronco over the past couple of years...yes I said years. Who knew he could find one just 1 hour away by a friends referral....Thanks Brent. So without further ado, here it is....Matt's 30th Birthday present and Christmas present all painted orange with a cute little bow and ready to hit the roads!

Matt grins ear to ear in front of his "new" 1972 Ford Bronco

Carter loves it soooo much that every time we pass the garage door he says, "me, truch" yes I know it is spelled with a K but that is how he actually says it....too cute!

The Adventures of "Nutz"....Carters Bear

A few months ago Carter and I went shopping with Nana and Carter just fell in love with this bear so of course Nana bought it for him. Just a few short days after that daddy asked Carter, "What is your bears name?" and Carter replied, " Nuts". So, very quickly Carter and Nutz became the best of friends and here is just a short list of the fun things they have done together. Carter is just so sweet to this bear! But don't call him bear. The other day I referred to him as bear and Carter said, "No, momma, Nutz!". I am so sorry, I will never make that mistake again.

With gulping sound effects and all, Carter shares his milk with Nutz!
Carter and me sharing apples during one of the last very nice fall days and Nutz just couldn't be left inside. He even got to try an apple and Carter was extremely concerned because Nutz doesn't have teeth.

Later that same day as we were playing in the loft and I hear Carter saying, "Momma, Look" "Nutz, poo poo". I turn the corner from the loft and see this, too funny not to run down stairs and grab the camera.

As you can see, Nutz also keeps Carter company while he is bathing. And, just a side note (no picture) bear, I mean Nutz, some how made in into the shower with momma the other day while Carter was playing with toys in the bathroom. I wonder how that happened as Carter looked on laughing saying, "Nutz, wash". Hilarious!

Carters little lunch buddy!

This was obviously taken like a month ago on account of the Halloween cup and bib. But if you look close you can see that Nutz has his own bib, cup and bowl.

Carter takes Nutz for a ride on his bulldozer!

I just love

when little faces light up with delight!

Okay, so even though my own child isn't exactly smiling from ear to ear in this picture, my niece Ceili is and I just love it! She just looks like she is having the time of her life! This was at the Halloween Party we went to and the kids got to take a "hay" ride around the yard. They could not have been happier....well that was until about round 10 when Auntie Holly and Megan decided to hide and scare them. There were just a few tears after that. But nothing like a good ol' pinata to dry the tears. Watch everybody, Carters up!!
He didn't break it but he sure had tons of fun trying!!

Trick-or-Treat

Happy Halloween!

Above, Carter is posing just before we head out to go Trick-or-Treating! He really wasn't in the mood for pictures but once we told him he would get candy, it was all smiles from there...and he really doesn't even get candy very often, but the offer still worked!
Mommy, Daddy, and our little golfer!!

Papaw and Nana stopped by to see our little trick-or-treater and they even stayed long enough afterwords to join us for some tasty treats!


Here is Carter trying desperately to manage his clubs and his candy...a man should never have to worry about carrying so much that is why tonight, I will be his caddie. Check back later for our costume party pictures!


Here is the little bat bib that I made for Carter!


Last weekend we braved the cold and went to the Zoo Boo with Holly and Justin! Carter had a really good time until he saw a man in a scary mask and then it was all down hill from there. We did however manage to grab a few pictures of Carter with Ceili and Keaton! He loves his cousins so much and we are so grateful to have them nearby....now if we could only get the rest to move a little closer!!

Carter, our golfer, holding on for dear life shortly after seeing a man in a mask!

Carter and Ceili running off some of their energy before we head to the zoo.

Carter, Ceili and Keaton all excited for the Zoo Boo. Ceili and Keaton's costumes for this year were not ready so Holly put them in costumes they had around the house which I think were just too cute! Cannot wait to see their costumes tonight at the costume party.

~Happy Halloween~

And , here they are...our totally spooky and yet all original Jack-O-Lanterns!!

From L-R, Matt's, mine, and Carters!! We were so excited to carve pumpkins this year with Carter just knowing that he would love it....well we were expecting a little too much. He was tired, he was grumpy and wanted absolutely no part in the big carve night. So, as Matt prepared us a wonderful warm meal of tomato soup and grilled cheese cut out like bats I tried desperately to get the pumpkins porch ready! So, without any templates and just a little creativity above is what we came up with. After dinner and after Carter went to bed, Matt joined me and carved his own. Maybe next year will a little more smoothly!

Carter loved looking at the pumpkins until we ruined it by asking him to touch the insides which he didn't even try but apparently the looks of it were enough to turn him off.

Check back later for more pics from the Zoo Boo and from Trick-or-Treating...I didn't want to ruin the surprise by posting pics of his costume too early!

The Ashby Inn

This past weekend Matt and I celebrated our 5th Wedding Anniversary...yeah!! So, to celebrate we took a nice little 9 hour road trip to Paris, VA and spent the weekend at the Ashby Inn. Its a modest little town of only 49 residents that are all proud to boast about the fact that there has been no reported crime since the early 1930's when a lawn mower was stolen and even more proud to be know as the home of the famous Ashby Inn. It was named one of the top 10 B&B a few years back and it definitely lived up to its reputation. The food was fabulous, the views were gorgeous and the people well they were just absolutely delightful. So completely hospitable!

The Ashby Inn founded in 1829

The Library at the the inn where Matt and I shared a lovely evening of hot Peppermint Patties and a decadent dessert before heading back to our room.

A view from our room. I just loved waking up and opening the balcony door to listen to the birds, feel the crisp morning air, and watch the sun shine on the hills. It was too pretty!

Matt and me taking in the views from Skyline Drive, a lovely 30 mile stroll through the mountains with breathtaking views.

The church in Paris!!

Isn't it just beautiful? At night it was really pretty as well with all the stain glass and the lights shining through. And, my most favorite part, while I lay in bed at night and looked out of the skylight, I could see the cross of the steeple right through the window...kind of peaceful.

Matt and I had a wonderful time and the trip was well worth every mile but we both woke up Sunday and could not pack quick enough to get back home to see our sweet Carter...whom survived just fine without us!!