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.

THE DAYS OF SUMMER ARE GONE

Now that the air is getting cool the swimming pools are closed. A true sign that summer is over.

This was our last trip to the pool this summer. We tried to go on Sunday nights making it a good end to a busy weekend.
FIRST YOU HAVE TO PUT ON YOUR SUNSCREEN- although he looks wet!

Carter really does like the water . Faith Takes the Fountain on head first!Their swimsuits were provided by Uncle Jeremy and Aunt Jenny --- Thanks!Thank the Good Lord for Daddies that don't mind having pictures in their swimsuits!! (no way would I post myself in a swimsuit)

IN THE TRENCHES

Being a stay home mom is what I have always wanted to be. If you have ever heard Chris and I talk about "our plan" it was to work really hard for five years to enable me to stay home full time (God's plan was eight and that was great!). Now that I have been blessed to be a stay home mom, I find myself in a much different routine. Like not showering, dressing, or looking half way presentable. I am aware of the situation but have not found the ultimate solution. On a very recent trip to town with Chris and the babies he had noticed that I looked a little or a lot different than I had for several days on end. He commented on how nice I looked. I confessed to him that I knew I had lacked in this area this week and he immediately said "IT'S OK YOUR IN THE TRENCHES". I just sat in the car and looked out the window thinking about how that short comment was AWESOME and I needed to hear it!! He totally understood and got what I am going through in this short season of my life.

Not only is Chris an overwhelmingly supportive husband he is a wonderful Dad. Faith and Carter adore him. He has been so involved from day one. Tonight as I cooked dinner Carter and Faith took their bath. It was earlier than usual due to the mask of food they were wearing. Not to mention their hair. While I cooked I could hear abounding amounts of laughter and squeals. Their Daddy was entertaining them with a huge game of shower curtain peek-a-boo. My heart just soared as I could hear all of this. I thought how lucky Carter and Faith are to have a Daddy like Chris. They are the apple of his eye.

Most guys would be afraid of one baby let alone two. Not this Daddy he loads them up and takes them to Lowes, to the Park, or aunt June's house anytime I need a break. It is good for all of us!!

I may be in the trenches but Chris is right there with me and I pray that all this work will be blessed.

WORD OF THE DAY

It is funny and interesting at this stage in life (14 months) how words just come and go.
Last week I walked in Faith and Carter's room to put laundry in their basket and get Faith out of her bed. I was headed for the laundry basket when I was greeted with a very enthusiastic HI! She of course was standing in her crib anxious to get her good morning hug and a lift to a clean diaper. I was caught off guard by the warm greeting. This is not the only time her new word showed up that day, however. Carter and Faith were eating in their highchairs when in walked Chris. Faith immediately greeted him with a HI! We were both excited about the new communication that we would now be able to have with Faith. The only problem is that word only lasted for a day. The word did not return until today and she used it once. I am very excited about the new words each day will bring.


Carter says mama a lot and yup. He is kinda a Mommy's boy right now anyway. Who needs more words? Mama goes a loooong way!!


The following pictures are of their favorite things to do!


Faith loves to get into the tomato plants on the deck. She will eat red or green and sometimes the dirt. We have chairs turned over to barricade them but she gets by them every time!!


She cooks when I cook, which poses a bit of a challenge. (for both of us) Carter Loves to play in the boat with his Dad - even if it is just in the garage!!!

Carter is about 10 months old here.

FIRST HAIRCUT

Carter Got his first haircut when he was 12 months old. I needed to get the pictures downloaded because he is just about due for another. He did awesome. Just give the boy a cell phone and he is content.

A WALK IN THE PARK

Thursday night Faith and Cater had spaghetti for the first Time. WE LOVED IT SO MUCH THAT WE RUBBED IT ON OURSELVES!!!! Chris says the spaghetti Won.



Today we took Faith and Carter to a small park by the Lake. I don't know who had more fun Chris and I or Carter and Faith.













I do not know what happens at your house when you leave your shoes lying around, but this is what happens at our house!!!!



GUILTY.


...AND THERE IS THE ACCOMPLICE

WHERE DO I BEGIN

I am so excited to start this blog I just don't know where to begin. Carter and Faith are Almost 14 months old and going strong. I am loving almost every minute that I get to spend with them. Our days are somewhat routine, meaning we try very hard to get two naps in.

Today was a little cool out so we all wore short sleeves and long pants for the first time. I left the door open for a while this morning and Carter and Faith went out on the Deck to explore. Their favorite is to go inside and outside continuously while stopping to close the door (which I leave open so no fingers get pinched off).

We went shopping while Daddy went to the Bank to do business. Carter gets to stand up in the cart while Faith rides up front. They are strategically placed. They were really good for me and all I had to do was pick up Carter's passifier every 30 seconds. Hey, I'll do it if it works. Faith is going to be a shopper She likes to hold everything that you put in the cart. She especially likes hangers.

We went to dinner at Osage National with Rick and Barb. It is always so nice when Carter and Faith both are interested in eating and sitting in their high chair for an extended amount of time. Barb is very entertaining to them so I think that helps. We always have a good time with them!!
They have been a blessing to us in so many ways.

Well there you have it our first blog. Pictures will be out next project, hopefully to come on the next entry.