A few of my favorite things

These are a few of my favorite things

sitting by our Christmas tree repeatedly looking over all the ornaments that make us smile

grimy little fingers and not so perfect gingerbread houses

my sweet lil Carter playing in the snow

sipping/selling cocoa out of his playgym fort

curling up on the air mattress with my two favorite guys in the world for Christmas Movie Night and camping out by the tree!

and celebrating this special special day with those we love!

Hope you all have a Christmas full of your favorite things!

Do you hear what I hear?

Few things in life can melt a momma's heart like watching your son parade in through church doors, take a seat up by the alter and sing at the top of his little lungs in a voice that brings tears to your eyes. (even if the girl next to him completely sang over him the entire time) Carter was so excited for his Christmas Program and once he realized that we were front row right in front of him he was all smiles and just kept waving and giving us the thumbs up! And the music, well it was 19 preschoolers all singing in their own time, and it was simply beautiful!

Happy Happy Birthday

to me to me to me!!

Wow, who knew that turning the BIG 30 would be so nice! Matt planned a very special birthday dinner for me and our entire family downtown at Harry and Izzy's. And it was absolutely wonderful! The food was ummm, amazing, the drinks were yummy and the company could not have been better. Then we all headed back to our house so the kids could play and we could all chit chat a while. I was so happy that everybody could make it to help me celebrate!

A visit with Santa

Preparing our hearts and our home

Well, by now, the lights have been hung, the tree has been lit and the feeling of Christmas is all around. This year we promised to do more, spend less, and enjoy all the moments that make us smile!

Above, you can see that Carter is all smiles as he decorates his very tree! It is just darling with pinks, purples, blues and lime greens and full of little sweet shop ornaments. He absolutely loves all the colored lights which differs slightly from the all white light tree in the living room. This year Carter was insistent that an angel be placed on top of the tree in the living room. He has been completely intrigued by the story of Christmas and feels that an angel is most fitting...he is just too smart for only being 3.

We love using our annual Indianapolis Zoo membership as much as possible and one of our favorite times to use it is now. The Zoo is decorated with millions of lights, figurines and trees. They even bring in one very special Christmas helper...a reindeer. Carter was too funny this year as he went from tree to tree and figurine to figurine posing at every one for a picture...we finally had to cut him off he was stopping so much!

And as always we celebrate the season with a baking day at mom and dads. You should see some of the cookies...the kids did an absolutely amazing job decorating!

When it is 72 in November

you throw on a little sweater and you head outdoors! Today we went to the Indianapolis Zoo with Auntie Holly, Keaton and lil Miss Kenley! And although we saw tons of animals, all eating and playing and roaming around since it was nice, my very favorite part was seeing all the smiles we got out of the little guys. They were just having the time of their lives running around and being boys!

All aboard the Indianapolis Zoo Train!

Really, wow....I just cannot believe that he is nearly four!

Don't be a Scaredy Cat

It is just the Cat in the Hat!!

I usually try to make Carters Halloween costumes but this year when he told me that he wanted to be Cat in the Hat, I have to admit that I was immediately a little overwhelmed. So I headed out to the store to find a store bought costume only to hear Carter completely disappointed say,"No, mom. I want it to be fluffy". So with that said I headed to JoAnns in hunt of the fluffiest fabric I could fine. Then without a pattern, a little luck, and a little boy patiently waiting, I cut, and sewed, and ripped a couple seams(more than once) and sewed some more just so he could be the fluffiest Cat in the Hat. And it was cute!!

Below we were at Auntie Holly and Uncle Justin's Halloween Party....just one week after the birth of their 3rd baby lil Miss Kenley! I cannot believe they still hosted their annual party but they did and as always it was a good time. The kids played in the leaves, ran around outside, went on a tractor wagon ride and ate more cupcakes and candy than ever!

Then of course on Sunday it was off to go Trick - or- Treating....but after having his costume on 4 days in a row our little Cat in the Hat refused to paint his face for the big day! Oh well, it was still cute and he had a blast running from house to house!

Above Carter Trick-or-Treats at his favorite neighbor Brandon's house! Brandon has a dog and a few nephews that are Carters age so he just thinks that Brandon is the coolest guy ever...and it probably helps that his wife Amanda is very beautiful!

Our super scary pumpkins...Skeleton (Matts), smiley face (Carter) and the witch, well I am sure I do not have to tell you but yes it is mine!

Frightless Fall Fun

So, for years my sisters and I have gone to the Headless Horseman at Conner Prairie and now that we have kids it just makes it that much more exciting. This year we started off with a little Taco Soup to warm our bellies, spiderweb cupcakes to set the mood and goody bags for the kids! Then we all caravaned to Conner Prairie where we enjoyed watching the kids play different musical instruments, sang a little Thriller, sipped some apple cider, and as always kept a look out for the Headless Horseman as we weaved our way through the woods on a wagon ride.

Then on Saturday Auntie A invited us to the Cottage Homes Neighborhood Block Party and I cannot even begin to tell you how stinkin cute this party was. From colorful paper lanterns hanging beautifully overhead to hay and fallen leaves covering the streets to the sweetest little tea lights hanging from the trees. This party was absolutely adorable. They offered marshmallows to roast around the bonfire, had an Animal Show for the kids, and horse drawn wagon rides. There was live music, hot dogs, art vendors, and a diva of a MC that wore a few killer costumes...too funny!

Carters Apple Pie

For the past few weeks Carter has been asking me to make an Apple Pie so one day last week we set out on a mission....to make his apple pie!! First we headed to the orchard to select the freshest apples. Second we came home and possibly made the biggest mess my kitchen has seen since the time I dropped flour all over the place ruining my perfect Chicken Marsala that was simmering on the stove awaiting Matt's arrival home from a busy day at work. Anyways that is completely a different story and I think we had to end up ordering pizza. Anyways, back to the pie. But mess and all, we dove right in making our crust and cutting our apples, mixing a little of this and adding a touch of that and viola, Carters Apple Pie was absolutely delicious!

Oh October,

how we love thee!

You are our absolute favorite time of the year. When you finally roll around and the leaves begin to change you welcome us with crisp cool mornings and dew upon our grass. We are caught in such a short amount of time to celebrate your fleeting beauty. And so in these brief few weeks of fall we find ourselves packing up and camping, apple cider sipping, soup eating, windows opening, Bronco riding, and pumpkin pickin!

Oh October, how we love thee!

This past weekend was just beautiful so we decided to take a drive in the country. Now we usually have this special day trip that we take to Huber Winery to pick our pumpkins but on Saturday as we were driving we found this cute little country patch that was having a festival. Carter really wanted a pumpkin TODAY so we stopped in for some pumpkin pickin....only to find that they were already picked. So since we couldn't change our minds and tell Carter no, we simply made the best of it and let im pick out a few dandies!

Here he is seriously contemplating which he should choose.

and as always we take a little time to pose for some pics by pretty mums and as always I get the pirate eye smile!

and at the end of our endeavor we ended up with a wagon full of fall!

Just a little story. So Matt thinks that I spend too much time doing crafts and not so manly things with Carter. I am a mom what can I say. So anyways, when we got home Carter immediately wanted to decorate the porch. So as we were setting out our corn stalks and pumpkins Carter took a few steps back and said "mom, come look at it from here. It looks really cute" and then quickly followed it up by saying " and dad by cute I mean cool!" Too funny. and for the record I personally thought it looked cute and by cute I mean darling!

Go COLTS

Although Matt was able to attend tonight's game of Manning vs Manning while Carter and I stayed home, all three of us had fun a few weeks back at a preseason game. Not quite the same, but fun nonetheless.

Carter was so excited to watch all the pregame stuff with the motorcycle leading the team out and the streamers coming down!

Carter and his #1 buddy, his daddy!

preseason tickets for three....free!!

Bucket of popcorn....$8

1 foam finger.....$10

Colts hat.....$25

Manning Jersey.....$35

Carter bringin his game face....PRICELESS!

Now, we just hope that Matt has as much fun tonight at the game without us as he did with us!

Starting Preschool

If I could have only convinced him to stop celebrating and sit still long enough to get a good picture. oh well. I guess it is what it is. His first day of preschool and he was just so excited he couldn't contain himself!

Labor Day Camping Trip

What could be more fun than camping with 25 friends and family, crafts and campfires, homemade donuts and a nice little round of softball? We couldn't think of anything better so we packed up and headed to our 4th Annual Labor Day Camping Trip! We had so much fun that we are already making BIG plans for next year!

Justin...usually a good sport and always good for a laugh!

Aren't we a good lookin group...just don't pay too much attention to our clothes. First, we were camping and second we had just finished up a nice little game of softball, but most importantly we all had a blast!

Until next year!

sometimes it hurts so bad

this ache inside my heart. This yearning for another sweet baby to love and cuddle, this yearning for our dear family of three to become a family of four (or even more). and it just hurts so bad as I sit there listening to yet another doctor tell me in his very own words "it's like a snowballs chance in hell" that I will conceive again. I couldn't even carry Carter to full term, delivered early, and now I cannot conceive. But I am girl....aren't we supposed to conceive? Are we not supposed to go forth and create new life? I don't get it. This hurt, this aching, this never ending cycle of hoping, wishing, praying that this will be the month. That this will be the month that I will see two pink lines instead of one. That this will be the month that I get to say " I am pregnant" instead of saying "oh my gosh I am so happy for you, that you are pregnant". Don't get me wrong, I am truly happy for those who can think baby and end up pregnant the next day. But gosh, really, I am jealous. And I hope and pray that they realize the blessings they have been given. What I wouldn't give to be them...probably both my ovaries! But I keep going hoping, wishing, praying that this will be the month. That this will be the month that I get to fill this baby void like no other. That this will be the month that I get to go into a store and buy my fill of sweet baby goodness. That this will be the month that I can reach across the car and wipe tears of joy of Matt's sweet cheeks instead of seeing eyes of hurt and disappointment, knowing full well that I cannot heal the hurt that is in both our hearts. And for Carter, a sibling. Oh my, there could be no greater gift for him. How he would love to sit and play and sing and fight and grow up knowing the love betweeen brothers or even a sister for that matter. That this would be the month for all these things. But after months of meds, shots, ultrasounds and appointment after appointment, it looks like it won't be this month either or not even next month for that matter. It will just be another month of putting on smiles as someone says, "So when are you going to give Carter a sister or a brother". I smile, my heart screams and what I really want to say is, "well as soon as I get $20,000 and an ovary that ovulates". Or when another says "it will happen when you least expect it"....well by now it has been three years and we "least expect it" and still nothing. Or another says, "it is God's will". Ok, fine and dandy, but is it also God's Will for all the little babies to be born into families who cannot care for them or love them or hurt and neglect them? I don't think so, so I don't find it His Will for this either. So for now we carry on with heavy hearts and hurt a mile wide and with so much thankfulness for our one sweet little bundle of joy that is getting so tall now that he comes to my waist. We carry on but still sometimes it hurts so bad, this aching inside my heart.

the one that got deleted

Family Vacation 2010

This year for our annual family vacation, with all my sisters and their families, we rented a house just outside of Myrtle Beach, SC. Matt and I, along with Carter, actually snuck away a few days early to spend some time with Nana and Papa Wynberry in Charleston before spending the rest of the week with all the Mennel girls and our kids. It was so nice to see Charleston again. No matter how many times we go it just never gets old. I love all the water, the huge houses, the history and the food! We spent the days playing in the water, collecting shells and watching dolphins and the nights were spent into the Wii hours catching up and bowling on the Wii!

Above Carter is searching for (and I think he found) the perfect shells with Nana


If you know Carter, then you know that old ships, big cannons and pirate artifacts are right up his alley. He was all smiles at Charleston's Queen Anne' s Revenge. The food was really good but the real pirate artifacts where even neater!





And then our four days in Charleston came to an end so we packed up and headed north just a bit to Garden City, just south of Myrtle Beach!

Above Keira and Carter are hanging out in Pawleys Island, which is known for their Hammocks. I found it ironic that the little old man who spends his days weaving these ever so comfortable hammocks has never owned one and says that when he heads home he heads straight to his bed...not the best sales pitch but the simple God's honest truth!

Shawna, Don, Keira and Kalen soakin' up some sun and diggin' in the sand!

Shae had the time of her life out in the waves while Ty preferred to stay on the beach...poor Shae loved it so much she ended up with swimmers ear and poor Ty found himself buried up to his neck with help from all the little ones!

Uncle Justin serenaded us all with his ukulele

Oh my goodness, we all had such a good time crab hunting at night. It was just too bad that Uncle Justin was the only one out of all of us that was lucky enough to catch anything. But the kids had fun regardless. They were able to run around, get wet and chase each other with flashlights, so they couldn't really have cared less about catching a crab!

Oh and did I mention how peaceful and relaxing this vacation was?!

My lil' love bug is getting too big

I don't know why I love this picture the way I do, the shell is well sub-standard and you cannot see his sweet baby face but I think it has something to do with those sweet little fingers that still love to hold his momma's hand...and the fact that he was so completely excited because he found "the bestest shell"

Kalen, Carter, Ceili, Keira, Shae, Ty and Keaton

When the kids are happy we are all happy!

and then the same came up on our very last day and we headed back to Indy with sand on our floorboards, sun on our skin, and memories in our heart...who could be happier!


and you wouldn't believe that I just deleted a picture that i really wanted to post and I am at work so here is this for now and I will post it later....