NOW WE'RE TALKIN

Carter and Faith are saying new words everyday!! My Favorite word that Carter says in turtle. It is the sweetest!!!! I am going to capture this on video tape. Faith says No No Carter. She is the boss and a good one at that. I have an understanding about them that he is going to get into trouble and she is going to be right there as his conscience. They love to eat apples in their high chairs set up next to each other. At meal time they will barter Carter traded his peanut butter sandwich for Faith's crackers. It worked to each of their favor. Bath time is really fun but only if you get the good spot. According to Faith and Carter this is right under the water faucet. They are into everything but for the most part so funny and fun!!!

This is Carter, not to be confused with Chris

Now you know my secrets to keeping a clean house!!!

Look at my FISHING POLE!!!!

Carter pushes Faith in her stroller. I put her baby in it to stroll around - she throws out baby and puts in sippy and pushes sippy (cup) around! Priorities

Fishing in the Bath tub!

Dancing with the Valentine's Dog

Carter in his Valentines Day attire

HAPPY NEW YEAR

First I am going to explain why I have not been blogging lately. For Christmas I put together shutter fly books of Faith and Carter that took me an extensive amount of time. I started way before Thanksgiving and finished right before Christmas. The books turned out great and it was well worth all the time and energy.

We have been traveling back and forth from KC for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Thanksgiving was spent at my Dad and Moms with my Moms side of the family. We had about 30 family members present. This was a great time to catch up with Family and eat some really great food.

Dalton and Faith Playing on Thanksgiving Day

Carter Looking for Dalton and Faith

Christmas Started off with a get together at Jeremy and Jenny's house to eat and exchange gifts with my family the weekend before Christmas. We stayed the night with my Mom and Dad and hung around their house all day on Sunday. That night we went to their church for the Christmas program. We did not put Faith and Carter in the nursery because I thought they might enjoy the program. We sat on the first row yikes!! Faith sat in my Moms lap and was loving the program. She did so good until Mary came to get baby Jesus (played by Faith's cousin) and took him on stage. Well Faith thought it was her cue to go on stage too. So in all efforts to not have Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, Me, and Faith on stage we had to make a quick exit and join Carter and Daddy in the "Cry room"a back room off the sanctuary. We left the next morning and returned to the Lake.

My Mom and Dad came down for Christmas Eve and Christmas morning. We enjoyed them so much and had a wonderful time. After breakfast we headed to KC again to Chris' Mom and Dads. Carter was trying to get over the stomach flu and on Christmas evening I came down with the stuff. We passed it around and by the time we recovered Christmas was over. Faith never got sick and continued to go strong. Carter had strep throat two weeks before. She never got that either. Poor Carter a week before Christmas burned his hand on the fireplace. That was the worst of all. It has taken him till after New Years to return back to his sweet cheery self. I missed the little boy. He slept a lot and wanted to be held for three weeks. We are all on the mend and ready for a New Year. I hope you all had a Wonderful Christmas and Happy New year Too.

PUMPKIN HUNT

Last Friday Chris and I took Carter and Faith to a pumpkin hunt that our parents as teachers sponsored. We put them in their new to them (used) wagon, pulled them across the creek bed into the field. The pumpkins were placed all over the open field. Chris thought he could do a better job at hiding them!!! We helped the kids find their pumpkin of choice and put it in the wagon with them.

After getting pumpkins we ate a sack lunch at the picnic area. OK we ate their sack lunch and they stared at everyone. They had never seen so many other kids close to their age. I have to admit there was a lot going on! Some of the mother-kid communications were fun to watch. After lunch we took Carter and Faith to a maize made out of hay bales. Carter loved this!




The afternoon was concluded with a visit to the hospital to see their great Grandma Jeffries. She commented on Carters curls!! This was a special visit as it was the last time they got to see Grandma Jeffries.

SHOTS

Today was the day Faith and Carter got their Shots. This is always a stressful day for me and one that I have put off far to long. Moving to a new area always poses a challenge for finding a new doctor. I had two moms refer me to the some doctor in one weeks time. We went to see this doctor today and we really liked her. WE HAVE FOUND A DOCTOR! Anyway, back to the shots. The routine is Chris stays in the room with the baby(I know they are no longer babies ) getting the shots while I stand outside the door with the other one. I tried to stay in the room once and I cried with them. It gets messy and it's just better for everyone if we stick to this procedure. Carter was the first today. I stood in the hall with Faith. Of course he scream and then nothing. When Chris picked him up he stopped crying. Chris brought Carter to me and I handed over a tired Faith. Carter did really well and was ready to get down to play. The doctor came by to give him a treasure and asked me if he even cried. Faith did as best she could while wondering where her mom was. Chris brought her to me as she clung to me for dear life. We put on their pants and left. It went much better than expected. This was the best round so far.

On a more positive note Carter got new shoes. This is his first pair of Tennis shoes and he was fascinated by them. I put them on yesterday morning so he could try them out. He took a few steps and stopped and looked at his feet... a few more steps and stopped to check them out again. They make a different sound then the teva's he wore this summer (louder). This was very noticeable as he did his almost run across the kitchen floor. He seemed to be OK with everything until he found the shoelaces. The summer shoes did not have these things on them. After untieing and tieing and untieing, I put him in the car to head to MOPS. Picture to follow next time.

Miss Faith is a sweet as she can be! She gives the best hugs ever. I love to watch her as she discovers the world around her. Last week we stepped out on the front porch to talk to Paul (the landscaper) . Paul came up to Faith sat down and started to talk to her. She stood right beside him with her elbows bent and her hands on her lower back with palms out. I had never seen her with that pose before. Then it dawned on me that Chris and I often put our hands on our hips when we talk to people. Faith was "putting her hands on her hips". It is the sweetest thing. They are always watching!!!

MOPS CONVENTION

This weekend I have packed my bags for Dallas to go to MOPS conventions. Mimi came to help with Faith and Carter Thursday. Chris has them on Friday and Grandma J. is helping on Saturday.

So Far it has been a wonderful experience with speakers that challenge and pull at your heartstrings at the same time. We have heard great music from talented recording artists.
There are over five thousand moms here this weekend.

The three other Moms that are with me on this trip are so fun!! We have laughed, cried, and shopped. This will make you close friends very quickly.

WHERE IS THE CAMERA?

I just checked on Faith and Carter as they are sleeping. Faith usually lays on her back (with mouth open) or her side. Carter is usually a tummy sleeper, but was laying on his back with pacifier close by. They have been sleeping in the same room since they were 13 months old. They do relatively well with not waking each other up during the night if one gets up. Chris use to say when ones up we are all up. I sure don't see him at night anymore.

Yesterday morning about 6:20am I could hear Faith stirring (She gets up first every morning). Then silence. A little stir from Carter. Silence. By 6:45am lots of talking by both Faith and Carter. I could not see them but my vision of them was standing in their beds leaning on the rail as they talked to one another hoping for a mommy visit soon. As I walked into the room, my vision became a reality except Faith was jumping around while hanging on to the rail. When ones up we are all up.

Over the Weekend Papa J and Grandma came to visit. Chris fished a tournament with his Dad during the day. Saturday evening we went to dinner with his Grandpa, Granny Barb, Mom, Dad, and of course Faith and Carter. After dinner we went back to His Grandpas house. Grandpa Shack plays the Guitar and other instruments (at 90). He got his guitar out and played for us. Carter was in the spirit that night and felt like Dancing. As PaPa J sang he put his hands on his waist, arms half bent, legs and feet marching up and down as fast as they could go. He was on beat and he was a serious as he could be. He was watching his feet go as if he was amazing himself. We all were tickled to tears. It was one of those moments were you would have given anything and everything for a camera. Then you could be tickled to tears too. The funny part or I guess I should say the other funny part is the next day at church his teacher told us that Carter out danced everyone!!! I wish I could have been there. I hope we don't get kicked out of the Baptist Church.

If you tell a funny on one you must tell a funny on the other. We went to Tennessee for a family reunion in July. We stopped in Nashville for a couple of days before the reunion. We were going to the Grand Ol Opry that night and thought it was important to rest before our activities. We had put Faith and Carter in their pack-n-plays to nap. Chris napped on the couch around the corner from Faith and I napped in the Bed. Everyone had fallen asleep, so we thought. Faith has always been our more difficult one to get down. She does not want to miss a thing (kinda like her Daddy). While we were resting she had climbed up the side of her crib and got a bag of M&Ms off the table beside her. I mean a big bag not the snack size. She helped herself to the colored candies. Chris kept hearing her wrestling paper or something but could not think of what it could be. Well he finally woke up, walked over to find a little girl covered in brown chocolate. She saw him too and quickly started to stuff her mouth with the contraband. It took a full bottle of Spray and wash on her bedding at the local laundry mat before all the stains would budge.

NEW ADVENTURES

New Adventures
(DAD's NIGHT TO BLOG!!!!!!!!)

Tonight is my privilege to blog for the first time. The Lord has blessed us with two wonderful, healthy babies that Melissa and I love more and more each day. Carter and Faith are just over 14 Months old and the days have flown by. Both are going all over the place with arms a blazing. Our household will never be the same and Melissa and I thank God everyday.

Everyday life brings us new adventures and whether old or young there is nothing more exciting than First Times. I think back to some of my own first times and I treasure those memories as I hope Carter and Faith will as well. Everything in our lives right now is a first time, like Faith picking and eating Green Tomatoes, Carter throwing out his arms wanting to play in my boat, Carter and me watching the groundhog run along the shore in the back yard, car rides, playing a game of chase around the living room furniture ( I never knew their little legs could go so fast), throwing the pacifier over the deck rail and then looking back at me or Melissa to see what we are going to do about it, going for stroller rides (even if they are sometimes a little bumpy) , going to the pool and bobbing around like apples, petting the dogs at Papa and Grammies house, riding the rocking horse at Papa and Mimi's, going to the park and eating rocks or mulch ( it is always better fried), tractor rides at Aunt Junes with Ed and Val, wrestling with Uncle Mike, meeting Great Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and Cousins, riding the race car in Hyvee while waiving by to Uncle Tim, or even Today (Grammy close your eyes and ears) Picking Up A Snake. The list can go on and on. First Times are Great and New Adventures are even better. I love being a Dad and I look forward to all the Great Adventures.