Gnome Sweet Gnome

Taking it easy

2012-01-29T11:46:00.005-07:00

We're working on taking it a little easy these days. So, today was a blueberry muffin & Old Maid kind of morning.

I think it's my new favorite kind of morning.

Stress Test

2012-01-26T22:41:00.007-07:00

This is a MASSIVE post about what's been going on with crazy pregnancy stuff. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO IGNORE THE DRAMA & hop down to the mini post at the bottom:

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Oh man, lately my life has felt like it is one big ol' stress test. Not like the lovely Non-Stress Tests I've been doing weekly (& now bi-weekly), the REAL LIFE stress.

I just wanted to keep everyone who isn't a FB (why the heck aren't we FB friends?) or text friends up to date on the craziness that has been life this week. After my last NST came back low I was told to come back 5 days later (Monday) & when they checked me the number dropped abnormal/ dangerously low. They told me to go straight to Labor & Delivery because I was most likely going to have this baby. Yeah, I didn't even have a car seat.

At the hospital they admitted me, put me in a lovely gown, & put in a heplock all saying they were just waiting for the doctor to start inducing me. When the doctor did come he told them "35 weeks is TOO early to induce her let's try some stuff first" (thank heavens for doctors that agree with me) but he added "you are still almost certainly having this baby today or tomorrow".

They hooked me up to an IV & DUMPED me full of saline and then rushed me down to get an ultrasound again. This time my numbers were up. Still low but not dangerous. They still weren't sure if they were going to induce me. Finally, it was decided 35 weeks was too early, I'd come back Thursday & they'd check again.

Wednesday I had an appointment to see the doctor at the OB's office. After telling her what had happened Monday & she mentioned that I was measuring small (I've measured RIGHT ON every other appointment). She also said it didn't look good to keep this baby in much longer.

Thursday (today) I went in & my amniotic fluid numbers actually went up. I was ecstatic, but then when they started monitoring the baby the heart rate wasn't quite right- just having strange dips & they thought I'd probably have this baby today. So, I sat there for 3 1/2 hours (which would have rocked if I wasn't starving, didn't hate TV & had a book that didn't stink). The doc finally came & again reinterated that he thought 36 weeks was too early to induce & to go back to the doctors office on Tuesday for an amnio test, a NST, a doctors appointment, & an ultrasound to check the babies size.

I came back an emotional mess. All this "you're giving birth RIGHT NOW" and "wait, no you aren't" etc just did me in. I'm now determined that this baby is coming at the end of February. I'm not even letting the idea that I'm having this baby enter my mind unless I've got an IV of petocin dripping in my arm.

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After I got home a weepy mess, my lovely mom-in-law (who flew out at the false scare & has been helping SO MUCH) took the kids & I out to "Beauty & the Beast" in the theater. It was just as amazing as I remember it being when I first saw it in the theater when I was 9 years old.

So, you are all now FULLY updated on my life. Thanks for sticking with my through my blogging absence & baby-on-the-brain posts. You all rock!

Brodi Ashton Book Launch for EVERNEATH

2012-01-25T12:09:00.009-07:00

I can not even tell you how much I love Brodi Ashton! She is the kindest, funniest, snarkiest, most outgoing, welcoming person I have gotten to know in my author-ly friendships (read about the first time we met here).

Last night was the long anticipated launch to her debut novel EVERNEATH. I was lucky enough to have already read this book & it is a solid 5 stars- it looks like people agree because reviews on amazon.com & goodreads.com have been awesome!

Brodi gave a fabulous talk & hilarious PowerPoint presentation that left me doubled over in laughter. It was also one of the biggest turnouts I've ever seen at a launch, with some of the best food too!

And since I love Brodi so much, love her novel so much, and love ya'll so much I'm giving away a signed copy. Check out her book trailer, the synopsis of it, and leave a comment to be signed up to win one for your very own! GOOD LUCK!

Baby Celebration!

2012-01-21T21:55:00.007-07:00

Today a lovely double, for Es & I, "baby celebration" was thrown by my favorite LBG ladies- huge shout out to Linds who worked tirelessly & had an immaculate house to host it at.

We had such a fabulous time with a close group of friends who came to wish us, & our little soon-to-be-born babies, well.

Tasty food, good conversation, & opening beautiful gifts from extremely thoughtful friends.

I could not ask for sweeter, more generous people in my life. Thank you all for your love & support for this awesome addition to the Carter Clan!

NSTs

2012-01-19T20:41:00.005-07:00

I'm pretty sure the term "Non-Stress Test" is a misnomer- like "fun run". Because while nothing happens but measuring amniotic fluid & baby hearts rate (& it's boring), I can't help but worry (I'm such a worrier).

I've been having weekly ones for the past bit because of concerns about low amniotic fluid. I've been trying to drinks lots of liquids & rest in the hopes of bringing the number (which is a tad low) up.

Poor Rob joined me at my last appointment. The kid was a trooper, but extremely bored. Fingers crossed for my next one (on Monday)!

Kickin' it with cool kids

2012-01-18T22:26:00.003-07:00

Yeah, it's just a regular run to the grocery store...

... with the coolest kids on the planet.

Feeling done.

2012-01-17T17:16:00.013-07:00

I honestly wasn't expecting to feel this poopy, this early on. I can't remember when I felt "done" with my other bambinos but right now, at 35 weeks I feel DONE. Today 5-6 more weeks sounds impossible.

I know it's because I have a cold creeping in & I have been working too hard the past week or so. I'm hoping to slow it down a little, kick this post nasal drip, & soon feel like I can push through these last weeks because, honestly, I don't really have another option.

All complaining aside, I can not wait to meet this new little human being I've been growing inside me: little toes, little eye lashes, little heart. My body grew all that. It's a miracle & I can't wait get this 5 person family started!

Baby in my Belly

2012-01-14T21:43:00.005-07:00

Yeah, I'd say the kids are pretty excited for this baby.

This is pretty much their new favorite game:

"Baby in my belly" game.
It consists of them with their hands on their back shuffling around & complaining.
I guess that says a lot about what I've been doing lately.

Wrong Answer

2012-01-11T16:23:00.006-07:00

Syd, Rob, & I played a new game we got from the PERC Center. As we're playing along, it's Syds turn & she landed on a spot where we have to read a card.

Here's the card:

Before Syd even had a chance to move her game piece Rob pipes in saying: "That's wrong! He should have just snuck one candy bar before dinner, so he had enough room to still eat dinner."

Ummm... yeah, I'd call that a parenting fail.

Family Night: getting ready for the baby

2012-01-10T07:45:00.001-07:00

For Family Night last night, I thought for part of our evening we'd have some "what's gonna happen when the baby comes" activities with Syd & Rob.

We started off reading this LOVELY (in story & especially in drawings) book my mom-in-law gave Syd & Rob for Christmas.

Then we played a little game of "What will change & what will stay the same when the baby comes". I typed up a bunch of sentences & then we put them under each column (We had a bunch & I made an effort to have the "stay the same" list longer than the "change" list).

To top off the night we played with Sydney's doll, specifically learning how to hold a baby. The kids went ga-ga for it.

I am probably a lot more neurotic than I need to be about how they're going to handle a new baby but it was fun to talk (& warn them) about all the fun (& hard stuff) that comes along with a new baby!

School Pictures

2012-01-09T07:06:00.005-07:00

In the de-junking & going through the house, I found this book my mom kept with all my school pictures.

For your viewing pleasure enjoy grades 1-12:

Oh, the stages of life you can spot while looking at these pictures: my first perm, when my gappy adult teeth started growing in, my over-sized tortoise shell glasses, the beginning of my grunge stage, when I started dressing myself for school pictures, & the senior picture where I sure thought I was hot stuff.

And P.S. What is with the oscillating between awkward shoulder length to awkward chin length hair?

Nesting

2012-01-06T15:49:00.006-07:00

It has begun.
Nesting.
Finally.

I thought maybe it wasn't going to happen with this baby & I'd be left with a horrible messy house with no desire to clean it. Now I'm on a rampage & I'm rolling with this feeling as long as it lasts.

The kitchen was todays project & I went through the whole place emptying all the cupboards, wiping them out, throwing out extra junk, & organizing everything.

Here's a look at my trunk after todays CostCo trip. I had the obsessive need to buy cleaning supplies, baby supplies, & other essentials. Like Poptarts.

We bought toy organizing storage things for each kids room because their toys have been crazy cluttery. Especially since Christmas.

And while this technically doesn't fall under "nesting", I've been trying to find ways to dress like I'm in pajamas all day long without actually being in pajamas. Maternity leggings & a big cotton dress worked nicely today.

Healthy Stuff

2012-01-05T22:20:00.005-07:00

I adore my kids art.
I know, every mama probably feels that way.
But my childrens pictures are exceptionally neat.
See here & here.

Syd just showed me this most recent masterpiece.
She's said it's her drawing of "healthy stuff".
"There are only two unhealthy things," she explained.
"Lava & fire. They definitely aren't healthy."

Moral of the story: To be healthy, eat those pears & steer clear of lava.

Pinning

2012-01-04T16:49:00.010-07:00

I finally broke down, after many many people sang the lauds of Pinterest, & joined. I have to say I am not disappointed.

I tend to have TONS of files with pictures saved from random things I love on the internet:

Also, a million & one book marks of tutorials I want to try:

Now, I have them all in one spot, not taking up space on our hard drive & I have found TONS of awesome ideas already from just browsing various friends Pinterest boards:

There are party ideas, recipes, cleaning tips, tutorials, art, & kid activities. You name it, you'll probably find it there.

If you guys are on tell me your name or find me (oliviacarter) & let's share the love of Pinterest! Or if you'd like an invite let me know!

Baby Gender Poll

2012-01-03T14:51:00.011-07:00

Hello my lovely friends!

I thought, seeing as I'm having this baby NEXT MONTH (hopefully), it was time to put a little "Gender Guess Poll" over on the side bar --------------------------->

Last night when I told Scott I was going to put it up he said NOT to say what he & I thought we were having (so as to not taint the numbers by bias).

So, I thought I'd find a visual way to share the predictions of the two other members of the Carter family...

Sweet Syd thinks it's a boy, but I'm pretty sure wants it to be a girl.
Bearto Bear hopes it's a girl, mostly because he doesn't want to share his room someday.

So, now it's your turn, ladies & gents, What do you think it's going to be?

Mark the poll on the top right side of the blog & after that feel free to leave guesses in the comment section too, so I can see who thinks what!

Books of 2011

2012-01-02T21:31:00.012-07:00

Like last year, books & reading have been a HUGE part of my year. I love to read. Love. It. (though I have had to get creative on reading positions lately).

So, without further ado, here is my list of books for 2011 (this year I put links to all the books but my 4 & 5 star reviewed ones are bold):

1. Stolen
2. Nightshade
3. Across the Universe
4. Wither
5. Crecendo
6. It's Not Summer Without You
7. Cleopatra
8. Hold Me Closer, Necromancer
9. The Picture of Dorian Gray (re-read)
10. Anna and the French Kiss
11. Rich and Mad
12. The Lost Saint
13. Ship Breaker
14. The Book Thief (re-read)
15. Darkest Mercy
16. City of Fallen Angels
17. The Poison Eaters: and Other Stories
18. Revolution
19. Hex Hall
20. Fighting Ruben Wolfe
21. Jane: a modern retelling of Jane Eyre
22. Zombies vs. Unicorns
23. Demonglass
24. Getting the Girl
25. Jane Eyre (re-read)
26. Marcelo In The Real World
27. I Am the Messenger
28. A Match Made in High School
29. Cryer's Cross
30. Everneath
31. Hourglass
32. Will Grayson, Will Grayson
33. The Help
34. Forever
35. Red Glove (sequel to this fab book)
36. Sweetly
37. Texas Gothic
38. The Handmaid's Tale
39. Wolfsbane
40. Shade
41. Lola and the Boy Next Door
42. Shift
43. Divergent
44. Crazy Beautiful
45. Daughter of Smoke and Bone
46. Storyteller: The Authorized Bio of Roald Dahl
47. Chain Reaction
48. Unearthly
49. Die for Me
50. Van Gogh: The Life
51. Beauty Queens
52. The Well of Ascension
53. Bloodlines
54. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer
55. To Kill a Mockingbird (re-read)
56. Supernaturally
57. Clockwork Prince (2nd book to this great one)

Has anyone read any of these this year?
What were some of your top books for 2011?
Any questions about any of the books, leave a comment & I'll answer it here!

Happy 2012!

2012-01-01T22:58:00.003-07:00

With my happy little (soon to be a bit bigger) family ...

... & with this handsome fellow by my side ...

... ANYTHING is possible this year!

Hope you all had a fabulous New Years!

Marble Tracks

2011-12-29T12:08:00.005-07:00

For Christmas we bought Syd & Rob MARBLE TRACKS on a super "cyber Monday" deal. We bought one for each of them so they could play with it on their own or combine them together to make an UBER set.

It's been a blast & has been hours of relatively "non-fighting" playtime for the kids.
In my mom book, I call that a WIN!

Does anyone else have these?
Do your kids love them as much as mine do?

Christmas 2011

2011-12-27T20:09:00.010-07:00

We had a whirlwind Christmas at G/ma & G/pa Carter's house. And by whirlwind I mean we drove to Cali Friday & left for Utah Monday. It was fast, but so worth it.

Highlights of Christmas Eve & Christmas Day:

1) We wrapped presents & got to play with the family!

2) We also decorated cookies & for dinner feasted on raclette (me lovely friend Monica gives a nice explanation of raclette here) & tons of crab & shrimp. It was SO GOOD!

3) After dinner, Santa made a surprise appearance bringing gold, frankincense, & myrrh & he talked about why we celebrate Christmas. It really brought us back to the spirit of the season.

4) Then the kids got to open their Christmas Eve jammies & hopped into bed!

5) We then woke up at a pre-dawn hour, as is customary with the Carter Clan & sat on the steps singing Christmas songs.

6) Stockings & gifts were opened! We are lucky to have FABULOUS family & fun homemade gifts.

7) We went to lovely Christmas services.

8) The rest of Christmas Day was spent opening & playing with new gifts.

It was a lovely Christmas spent bonding with family, getting to know cousins better, & generally enjoying the spirit of the holidays! How was your Christmas spent?

P.S. Past Christmas FUN: 2010, 2009, 2008, & 2007

Christmas Cookies

2011-12-27T19:43:00.004-07:00

We had a lovely "mini" Christmas party with the our friends in lieu of exchanging gifts: lunch & decorating cookies.

We used this recipe & they turned out fabulous (the key I guess is keeping the dough nice & cold the whole time). They kept their shape nicely & the kids had a blast decorating with an excess of frosting & way too many sprinkles.

All in all it was a lovely pre-Christmas afternoon had by all!

Santa 2011

2011-12-21T20:52:00.005-07:00

We decided to check out Jolly Ol' St. Nick at the mall tonight. Rob reverted to being a bit freaked out of Santa. Once he saw that he'd get a sucker he decided to sit & smiled for the picture, but he made me tell Santa what he wanted (container with goo & a Scooby-Doo action guy inside: see what he's talking about here).

Syd happily sat right there & told Santa exactly what she wanted- Squinkies. (the seeming most useless toys on the planet: see them here)

I'm happy to report that both wishes have been fulfilled so no last minute shopping will need to be done. Phew!

P.S. Past Santa visits 2010, 2009, 2008, & 2007

Syd really gets into her music

2011-12-20T21:34:00.005-07:00

This is a video secretly taken of Syd this afternoon:

I promise that even though she seems like she's in pain, she really, really digs this song.
She asks for it by "#7 on mommy CD".
I think she might be "conducting" the song.

P.S. For anyone who knows this song, just know that the one line "kill myself" I edit out. Not hurting my babies virgin ears.

REVIEW: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

2011-12-19T12:49:00.005-07:00

(A lovely picture of our Christmas tree, a fab book, & my big ol' belly)

I just finished "The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer" & I could NOT put it down.

"Mara Dyer doesn't believe life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there. It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her strangely unharmed. There is.

She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love. She's wrong."

THINGS I LOVED:
It moved at such a pace that I could not put it down.
It was terribly romantic story- my fav part.
The dialogue was sarcastic, fast, & spot on.
It's a semi-murder mystery & a little spooky which is sorely lacking in YA.
That cover- love it.

THINGS I DIDN'T LOVE:
I thought the weakest parts of the story were the paranormal moments.
It's one of those "really good looking guys" falls for the "not popular new girl" (Gag!)
The plot got a little convoluted at the end of the story- again due to paranormal stuff.

SEMI-WARNING:
There is some language in it & a ton of really funny sexual innuendo. But if bawdy jokes bother you, you may not love a lot of the teen dialogue here (I thought it was kinda hilarious). Also it's pretty intense- mentally, emotionally, scary-wise.

Has anyone else read this?
What did you guys think?

Sunday Game Playing

2011-12-19T12:30:00.007-07:00

By the light of the Christmas tree, we had some lovely family game play time. We love the card game "Monopoly Deal". It's not a "kid game" per se but playing in teams rocks!

I sure love this family of mine!

What are your families favorite games to play together?

Christmas Hair

2011-12-14T12:05:00.006-07:00

Syd has has yet another "Spirit Week" this week (here's the result of her last Spirit Week & the last hair day). This time it's "Christmas Spirit Week".

Yesterday was "Christmas Hat or Hair Day". Here's the result:

Star Hair. Pretty cool, right? I kind of wish I had a Christmas party I had to go to so I could do this with my own hair. I still might, just 'cause.

I used the extra gold paper from these shower invites & hot glued them to bobby pins. Then used the gold spray I had leftover from this Halloween costume & some Martha Stewart glitter I had on hand.

And today here's Syds "Dress as a Christmas Character Day" (we don't have a Christmas costume so we improvised):

Half Birthday Treats!

2011-12-14T09:52:00.008-07:00

Rob celebrated his 1/2 birthday in Preschool today. I'm glad that they do that because my June birthday never got celebrated in school, so I'm happy he gets a chance to get a "woot, woot!" too.

So, for the treat he brought in for his friends I let him pick out some little toys & treats from our party store. He ended up with kind of a random collection of goodies but the whole thing screams Rob.

Then I took some pictures of him (as shy as he is, he's a photogenic little guy) & added tags to the top of the baggies.

He gave them to all his little friends in a fit of joy so I feel like I can call that good!

P.S. I am a big fan of using pictures on cards, treats, etc. Here are a couple others I've made: 30th birthday book, homemade Valentines, customized underwear, panty party giveaways, Superhero party invites, & Superhero party cutouts.

Homemade Disneyland Shirts

2011-12-14T09:46:00.000-07:00

So, when the family went to Disneyland I made match-y homemade shirts for the cousins. However, they didn't turn out quite as cute as I wanted them too.

The technique I used was supposed to look vintage-ish "tie-dyed", but just kind of ended up a little ghetto. But it's all good- they matched that's what I was going for!

First I bought shirts & the right color of dye:

I dyed the shirts & washed them (as per instructions):

Then I used a bleach pen to draw Mickey ears on the front (make sure you put cardboard behind it so it doesn't leak through):

Then I wiped the bleach off & washed them. To finish off I added bows (just sewn on) to the girls shirts:

I also added numbers on the back for the cousins and TA-DA!

Leisure Book Gift

2011-12-13T21:14:00.009-07:00

I have mentioned the blog "Oh Happy Day" before but I am consistently amazed by her ideas & after a recent post I realized that one of her gift suggestions was perfect for a friend of mine.

A homemade "Leisure Book". Basically a book where you list all sorts of fun stuff to do in your leisure time. I separated it into these sections: Museums & History, Festivals & Fun Stuff, Treats, Outdoors, Restaurants, & Book Recommendations.

You basically buy a pocket sized book & have your awesome husband exacto knife it into sections:

Then you do a TON of research on cool, random stuff to do in the area. I also utilized Facebook & my totally cool friends to give suggestions on places (and book suggestions):

Then I organized & scaled everything in Word so it will fit in the book & finally glued it all in. (I typed it up & printed it so I could include pictures, maps, etc. but it's not necessary if you have good handwriting you could just write it all in):

I also bought a bunch of small denomination giftcards to a bunch of the local places (and B&N for the book recommendation section- my fav section) for her to try out:

It ended up being a fun gift & I actually found out a lot of fun new stuff locally I'd like to try out. It would also be an awesome gift for someone who has just moved into town!

Silent Waving

2011-12-10T14:16:00.008-07:00

We had a church Christmas breakfast/program this morning & the kids were in charge of singing the closing number of "Silent Night".

I gave each kid a kiss on the cheek & said "sing your best".

Here was the result:

Apparently Rob interprets "sing your best" as "don't sing, just wave through the whole, entire song". And this is only the first verse.

Man, I love that kid.

Christmas Fun

2011-12-09T15:01:00.008-07:00

Sorry for the blog lamenesss- I've just been keeping close to the family, feeling uncomfortably pregnant, & enjoying the season. Here are a few of our recent activities:

SLC TEMPLE LIGHTS:

Past Christmas lights fun: 2010, 2009, & 2008

PICKED OUT A CHRISTMAS TREE:

Past Christmas tree pickings: 2010 & 2007

DECORATED THE CHRISTMAS TREE:

Past Christmas tree decorating: 2010, 2008, & 2007

What have you guys been doing for the Christmas season? Traditions? Other fun stuff?

Epic Disneyland-ness!

2011-12-05T15:59:00.018-07:00

While in Cali we were able to enjoy the Happiest Place on Earth. I'm pretty sure the kids thought that it couldn't get any better than the tram ride to the park.

Little did they know the fun that would await them inside:

Yes, I made the cousins match-y shirts. They didn't quite turn out as cute as I wanted them too but I'll post how I made them soon.

Let me just say the week after Thanksgiving has got to be one of the best times to go. The weather was perfect. The lines were pretty much non-exsistant. I think the longest we waited was 15 min for the "Peter Pan" ride.

It was also all decorated for Christmas & had special Christmas characters, parades, and re-done rides. Our favorite was the "Haunted Mansion" all decked out in "The Nightmare Before Christmas" spookiness.

Rob loved the "Pirates of the Caribbean" (big surprise). Scott was a fan of the Buzz Lightyear "videogame ride". My favorite was, & has always been, "The Haunted Mansion". And Syd was pretty ga-ga for the Tea Cups.

Scott was BY FAR the person of choice to go on rides with. Who could blame them, I'm pretty head-over-heels for the guy myself.

It was a great bonding time for the cousins & a re-bonding time for the whole family.

So, basically it held up to the title "The Happiest Place on Earth" & we can't wait to go back again someday.

The lovely, fun-filled day ended a little like this:

California Trip

2011-12-04T21:20:00.009-07:00

We're finally home! Sorry for my long absence but we've been on a family vacation to Newport Beach. It was a blast hanging out with family (like last year) & I have a ton of pictures to share!

So, bare with me while I show off a couple lovely beach day pictures!

The beach down by our hotel is called Crystal Cove. It's gorgeous & just a couple block away. The first day we went the tide was low & we were able to explore the rocks. We saw all sorts of cool sea life & tons of star fish (which seriously freak me out).

The second beach day we went the tide was higher & the day was warmer so we were able to enjoy a classic beach day: sandcastles, frisbee, & some of us even braved the water.

And don't you worry, there are more pictures of Epic Family Fun coming shortly!

Breaking Dawn Shirt WINNER!

2011-11-24T08:23:00.005-07:00

Winner, Winner, Turkey Dinner!

And this winner is:

SARAH!

And I hope everyone has a fabulous Thanksgiving!

P.S. The Carters will be on a little blogging hiatus for the next week or so. I'll pop in if I can but we've got lots of fun family stuff planned. Hope everyone has fun!

University of Utah Natural History Museum

2011-11-22T13:38:00.012-07:00

Friday was the opening day of the Natural History Museum on U of U campus. I signed up FOREVER ago for free tickets because I'm a total nerd like that & we went Friday.

The buildings architecture is lovely and it looks like it belongs perfectly in the landscape.

One of the coolest parts was that we were allowed, for the "opening day" only, into all the back areas of the museum- where they store the artifacts & where they do lab work. It was amazing!

The museum itself was a BLAST! They have a ton of hands on activities for kids & tons to see.

Our 2 favorite parts were the "see through" floors with Dino bones underneath & the area where you can actually smell different local plants. Very cool!

I definitely recommend if you are in the Utah area to check out this museum. It was a blast for kids & perfect for adults too.

P.S. Now just to show you guys how big of a "museum nerd" I am I'll let you all know the reason I was so excited to visit this museum was because my favorite museum designer Ralph Appelbaum (who designed the Holocaust Museum in D.C.) designed some of the exhibits (I know who has a favorite museum designer? ME!) & let me just say they were breathtaking. Hear an interview with him on NPR here.

GIVEAWAY: Breaking Dawn Shirt

2011-11-21T12:40:00.003-07:00

Hip-hip!
It's giveaway time!
I have an extra very pink "Breaking Dawn" shirt for ya'll.
Just leave a comment here & I'll draw the winner on Wednesday!

Evil Blue

2011-11-20T23:42:00.005-07:00

Syd & Rob LOVE to color.
We pretty much color every single day:

However, my children have one complaint.
A complaint they call "Evil Blue".
"Evil Blue" is in fact "Indigo Blue":

It looks blue.
It has a blue wrapper on it.
But when it color with it, it's purple.

Therefore, it "ruins" their pictures.
And has been rightly dubbed "evil".

Gender Neutral Baby gifts

2011-11-19T07:49:00.007-07:00

I was just talking to Es about gender neutral baby goodness & then a few days later I got an email from a blog reader asking what she should get a friend who doesn't know what she's having.

And since I've done some research about this, without further ado gender neutral gift ideas:

1.. Genderless gifts like a baby gym or baby bouncer.

2. Some pretty genderless toys- here, here, & here
3. It's not easy but there are some cute gender neutral clothes out there: here, here, & here.
4. Swaddlers: here & here.
5. Baby carriers like these.
6. Etsy is filled with screen printed onesies that are adorable for boys or girls: here, here, & this blog post.
7. Necessary baby items: diapers, nursing pads, baby wipes, & diaper cream.
8. Gift cards or waiting until the baby is born- boring I know, but ultimately helpful for some "gender" clothes later.

ANY OTHER IDEAS from my brilliant friends?

BREAKING DAWN: the movie

2011-11-18T17:46:00.004-07:00

Oh, the joys of these darn awful/wonderful/cringe worthy/romantic Twilight movies. BREAKING DAWN did nothing but continue my belief that these movies are the most simultaneously WONDERFUL & AWFUL franchise EVER (and I mean that with all the love in my heart)!

We had an awesome group at the theater (thank you all for coming & being so much darn fun to hang out with) as well as giveaways, treats, laughing/eww-ing/screaming by the bucket load & it was all just fabulous!

The shirts turned out great & we had a HUGE group wearing them. Even more than are in this picture (& lots who weren't with our group too) WOOT!

P.S. Past Twilight movie fun: Twilight, New Moon, & Eclipse

Pink Paint

2011-11-16T10:55:00.002-07:00

For anyone who has been to our house knows that Syd's room has been in DIRE need of a paint job. The last people who lived here HOT GLUED wall paper onto her wall- a VERY not Sydney combo of cowboy bandannas & horses. We have slowly peeled and stripped it off FOREVER, but when April came she got down to business sanding, toxic spraying, & eventually getting it all ready for painting.

We let Syd pick out the color she wanted & she went for "Sleeping Beauty Pink". It's really a color you MUST see in person. It's rich & it looks AMAZING against the gray we painted the dining room just outside her bedroom.

Rob was a pretty decent helper, but we really need to give Mama Carter a shout out because it wouldn't have happened without her & her mad painting skillz!

Nighttime Walk with Grandma

2011-11-15T20:03:00.007-07:00

Grandma has been in town since Matt & Kristal had their baby. Since she's been here we've had a blast doing house projects (pictures to come) & playing lots.

She left tonight, so before we let her go we took a mini hike up the mountain area behind our house with Rambo & some headlamps.

I think this might be a new evening tradition for us (at least until it snows or I get more pregnant- both of which will inevitably/unfortunately happen).

Carter Cousin #5

2011-11-13T15:51:00.005-07:00

Welcome the newest addition to the Carter Clan!

Matt & Kristal had their baby on 11-11-11 (a very cool b-day to have) & she is a gorgeous little girl! The kids have loved getting to know her just over the past couple days & can't wait for many more years of playing and bonding with her!

Photobooth Fun

2011-11-10T13:46:00.005-07:00

Photobooth fun at Lindsay's retirement party (way back in Sept)!

What makes a family....

2011-11-09T16:31:00.007-07:00

This is my whole family.
We're not a big family.
We probably look a little different from other families.
We're separated by land and loss.
But we have the most important thing you need to be a family,
Love.

I've been thinking a lot about family since my mom passed away one year ago today. I'm feeling a little tender. A little lost. A little lonely. But also joyful remembering her astounding life & all that she has given me.

Please enjoy some more posts about my mom:
pictures of her, a grief quilt, gratitude, a "grandma date", silver lining, rainy day fun, a birthday party, & out and about with my mom.

Taking it slow.

2011-11-08T17:27:00.009-07:00

Typically I have a rushed morning: getting kids to school or, the days Rob's out, we're running to the gym right after dropping Syd off.

This morning Rob & I opted out and took a leisurely pace.
And it was a lovely break.

We took a long morning bath, we ate breakfast on the living room floor while playing Batman, & I spent a good hour watching him make a "trap" for the cat at the top of our stairs (I have no idea how it constituted a trap but it sure was entertaining to watch).

Cravings

2011-11-03T21:14:00.004-06:00

This has been the only pregnancy that I've had SUPER strong cravings.
The other ones I thought, "Humm... maybe this sounds good."
But nothing that would be me out of the house at 9 pm running to the store.
So far it's been: green apples, Jamba Juice, movie theater popcorn, Sprite, etc.

This was tonights un-ignorable urge:

And, honestly, this did not seem like enough.

Bathtime Glow Sticks

2011-11-02T16:10:00.000-06:00

A lovely idea from a friend on Facebook.

Pure brilliance! Syd & Rob went ga-ga for it & I have to say (despite all the excitement) with the lights all dim the kids ended up a lot more mellow before bed.

Trick-or-Treating 2011

2011-11-01T13:16:00.004-06:00

We had a lovely evening eating soup & then trick-or-treating with the Pincocks & Parsons! I know, Scott looks sexy- he's been growing out his beard for months so that he could have a rad 'stache for Halloween. I think he succeed.

After collecting our own candy we came home & passed out our own. I'm pretty sure it was one of Syd & Rob's favorite activities of the season!

Halloween Costumes 2011

2011-11-01T12:42:00.007-06:00

I hope everyone had a lovely Halloween! I had a blast making Syd & Rob's costumes. This year Syd wanted to be a "garden" & Rob wanted to be a skeleton.

Both were fun "do-it-yourself" sort of costumes rather than a bunch of sewing which I'm NO GOOD at, & so it was MUCH easier for me to make them this year (though Syd's took a bucketload of mental energy to come up with).

Past years: 2010, 2009, 2008, & 2007

Family Halloween Activities 2011

2011-11-01T11:58:00.010-06:00

HEE-HAWS FARM:

Yes, a Carter Family tradition! It's good ol' family fun- hayrides, slides, hay to run around on, pony rides, & lots of friendly animals to feed.

Past years: 2009, 2008, & 2007

CARVING PUMPKINS:
We were late with our carving pumpkins this year- we've all been battling colds & have been horrifically busy but Sunday night we carved our pumpkins.

(Mine, Syds, Robs, Scotts)

Syd & Rob were none-too- happy about cleaning out the guts but they soldiered on, drew what they wanted us to carve out for them & I think they turned out spectacular!

Past years: 2010, 2009, 2008, & 2007

Halloween Fun 2011

2011-10-29T12:24:00.004-06:00

The kiddos costumes aren't done yet (somebody please slap me so I'll work on them ASAP) but we've had some awesome Halloween activities this week so we had to improvise our costumes. Check it out!

CHURCH HALLOWEEN PARTY:

We had a blast at our church Halloween carnival. Syd was an Indian (does it look familiar from our Thanksgiving play last year?) & Rob's a cowboy (in awesome cowhide chaps & vest made by my dad).

PUMPKINLAND:

This is our 3rd year at the fun (I'll be it slightly ghetto) "Pumpkinland". Rob put together a pirate outift & Syd was a princess. The ladies & I had a blast too. Check out years 2010, 2009, & 2008.

HALLOWEEN CLASSIC SKATING:

We were able to join Esther & Robby's homeschool group at "Classic Skating" for some dress up fun. This place is a blast! We tried skates for about 10 min but, thankfully, they also rent scooters for kids to ride around. The kids rocked Spider-Sibling costumes again.

Ignore my voice... it literally sends shivers up my spine.
What Halloween fun are you peeps up to?

Syd's "Red Week" Outfits

2011-10-28T23:13:00.004-06:00

Syd's school had an "Anti-Drug Week" & for each day they dressed up in a different outfit. You guys saw "crazy hair day" already.

For the rest of the week there was "Mismatch Day", my personal fav "Nerd Day", & "Red Day":

Let's be honest, put anything on Syd & she's cute!

Gratuitous Belly Shot

2011-10-26T16:03:00.001-06:00

"Crazy Hair Day"

2011-10-25T12:02:00.003-06:00

Syd had "crazy hair day" at school today.

Here was our finished product:

And this lovely hair has solved our "Sydney-not-deciding-what-she-wants-to-be-for-Halloween" problem. Let's say "flower garden hair" has something to do with it. Wish me luck with my 5 days left to make it!

Worms!

2011-10-24T19:56:00.004-06:00

Halloween is in full swing at our house- making decorations for the house, drinking hot cider, visiting the pumpkin patch, sewing costumes, etc.

What are some of your Halloween traditions?

Baby Belly

2011-10-18T20:12:00.004-06:00

Here is Sydney's picture of me with Baby #3 in my belly:

She's suspects (like Rob & I do) that it's a boy but she REALLY wants a little sister. Hence the suspiciously "Syd" looking baby in my belly. (Scott has his money on 'girl').

Thank goodness the baby isn't that big or I'd be dead.

P.S. I think as the date gets closer we'll open a little poll on the side bar & see what you guys think it's going to be!

Witches Night Out 2011

2011-10-16T21:51:00.008-06:00

Yes, it's our 8th year of WitchesNightOut & counting and this year was a BLAST- the weather was perfect, the crowd was fabulous, and most importantly the music was bumpin'!

There aren't many opportunities to dance like crazy (it's not like I'm going to go hit up a club) but once a year I've got "Witch Night Out" to boogie down at. This year was mostly dancing- despite being pregnant, my clothes not fitting, and having a horrific cold- and I definitely relished it!

I say, anytime bonding with my favorite girls is a night worth enjoying!

P.S. Please enjoy our past years: 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, & 2006-2004

Writer's Retreat

2011-10-15T16:55:00.007-06:00

(Debbie, Rachel, Meagan, me- & yes I look like awful, I'm super sick right now)

I can not sing the lauds of my Writer Group Girls enough! These ladies bring sanity to madness and happiness to my wild writer heart.

I was able to spend last night in a hotel in Park City writing into the wee hours, sleeping in, & writing more in the morning. I feel a rejuvenation for the craft, which has been waning since I got pregnant, just in time for NaNoWriMo next month with a brand new story.

Sibling Love

2011-10-12T16:48:00.003-06:00

Now, if they could only love eachother like this everyday.

REVIEW: Lola and the Boy Next Door

2011-10-10T21:10:00.004-06:00

Remember my "5-star book love", Anna & the French Kiss? Well, Stephanie Perkins second book, Lola & the Boy Next Door, just came out & can I just say I absolutely LOVED it!

Again, she is an amazing author: her writing, the dialogue, her characters (the main character, Cricket, tops my literary "hot nice guy" list & I love how authentic the characters felt despite some of them being pretty eccentric),. All together it's just a FANTASTIC read.

My 5-star caveat: Everyone I know who read Anna & the French Kiss loved it. It was a book I was comfortable recommending to everyone & I think if you loved Anna you'll love this book too. However, these characters are NOTHING like Anna & St. Claire & in general the book felt more edgy.

Here's the first chapter from Penguins website: it's not quite as instantly gripping as Anna, but give it time: it's sweet, romantic, & loveable.

Has anyone else enjoyed this book? Did you love it?

Maternity Clothes

2011-10-07T17:22:00.000-06:00

Oh man, maternity clothes are SO MUCH cuter now days- even since I was pregnant with Syd and Rob.

Here are a couple of my recent favorites:

1. Shabby Apple has some adorable maternity dresses. This one is my favorite.

2. Don't care what you say, I love me some skinny jeans even when I'm gonna be huge!

3. I love that they have gathered sides to add more belly room, rather than empire waist shirts (plus I love me some stripes).

4. Forever 21 even has some maternity clothes, but they are a little "blah" if you ask me.

5. Old Navy has some pretty cute ways to stay warm.

Any other recommendations for cute maternity clothes?

Breaking Dawn Shirts

2011-10-06T15:02:00.012-06:00

That's right my friends, it's THAT time of year again! The next installment of the "so-bad-its-good" Twilight series, BREAKING DAWN!

And we're doing shirts again this year! To see the uber fun-ness of our shirts check out our NewMoon & Eclipse ones:

Here's the design Scott & I made for this year & we're doing them on a nice tropical pink color:

Yes, it's a destination shirt for the island where Edward & Bella go on their honeymoon.

So, here is the sizing chart (order one size larger than the shirt you'd get normally get will be a good fit- I promise they run small):

The cost of printing went up a little over a $1 this year & last year I spaced and forgot to add taxes to the cost of the shirts, so total with taxes is $14 a shirt ($16 for the plus 1X plus 2X listed on the chart). I'm happy to send them to you too- it will just be $2-$3 depending on how many shirts you order!

If you want one for you & your friends please email me (cowgirlprincess101@hotmail.com) or send me a FB message. Just let me know what sizes you need & we can figure out paying, then mailing them out to you! The deadline is November 1st!

P.S. Please feel free spread the word (via blog, FB, or Twitter) to anyone you think would be interested! You guys ROCK!

Birthing Classes

2011-10-04T22:17:00.005-06:00

I'm seriously bummed that the lovely Becca's birthing class doesn't work with Scott & my schedule. But my loss is your gain- her class has a few spots left & starts THIS FRIDAY. Trust me you want access to her wealth of knowledge & it's perfect for any type of birth you're planning.

Here's a longer & more eloquent post (pre-knocked-up-ness when I could think) with more praise & information!

Baby Soryn's Blessing

2011-10-03T12:08:00.002-06:00

We had a lovely evening at the Tanana's house for Soryn's baby blessing. It was nice to celebrate the birth of this sweet little one & her fabulous parents too.

Plus nothing beats getting together for with my girls:

P.S. I still remember Syd & Rob's blessings like it was yesterday.

Random Pretty Things

2011-09-30T17:00:00.000-06:00

1. You all can call me a "bah hum bug" but a lot of baby stuff is kinda UGLY, but this blanket is adorable!

2. I'm always looking for a fun way to do my hair- LOVE this style.

3. In love this shower curtain- when my brain is back I want to sew one up.

4. Love this "Hey Ya'll" sign from Etsy

5. Tutorial on how to make a play tent for your kiddos (or yourself!)

Baby#3 Ultrasound

2011-09-29T15:36:00.004-06:00

I'm a firm believer that most ultrasound pictures basically look the same: general fuzzy baby profile and kind of creepy skull face picture.

But that doesn't make it any less exciting when I have some of my own. So, I'm here to share Baby#3 ultrasound pictures. Enjoy:

1. skull face 2. heart 3. top of head & fists 4. feet

It was just reassuring to see the baby flipping/flopping around & hear the ultrasound tech say everything looks good.

Ladies Night at the Theater

2011-09-28T14:32:00.007-06:00

I just had a lovely evening with my writer group girls (Meagan, Rachel, & Debbie) at the Hale Center Theater. We saw a lovely little comedy/musical that I've never heard of called "The Drowsy Chaperon".

I've never been to the Hale Theater but I love it. It was quaint, personal, & tons of fun! If you ever have a chance to go check it out!

Tafalga Fun

2011-09-26T21:08:00.009-06:00

Today the kids had the day off school so we met up with the Parsons at the Trafalga Fun Center. The kids & I had a blast!

There were rides (that 1st pic is before the ride, had it been after they would have looked significantly less happy):

Mini Golf (Syd was pretty darn good. Rob pretty much used his hands):

An arcade with all manner of fun arcade games:

And the happy winning of vampire teeth:

Man, I am constantly reminded how much I adore hanging out with these two babies of mine!

"You just have to fight"

2011-09-25T18:39:00.006-06:00

This video is not just for writers, but anyone involved in any creative endeavor.

I pretty much think that Ira Glass is genius, so this video with his inspiring/go-get-em words only solidifies that belief.

Check it:

Advice?

2011-09-23T22:38:00.002-06:00

11 week ultra sound picture

Does anyone have advice on getting the kiddos excited/not nervous/not jealous of a new baby?

Syd was so little when Rob was born we didn't really have to deal with it. Already we've had a couple "Will you still love me when we have the baby?" & "Daddy's gonna love the baby more than me?"

New News

2011-09-19T17:05:00.010-06:00

We just wanted to share an exciting secret with you all:

Yup, we're expecting Baby Carter #3!

How am I feeling? I'm feeling better. The lack of blogging has been in large part to me feeling a little nauseous, a little hormonally depressed, & a lot tired. But the last week I've been feeling semi-alive again- FINALLY!

When am I due? I'm about 18 weeks along, so the end of February. I've learned that I don't do well with due dates. They make me antsy & a little crazy. So, then end-ish of February it is!

Is it a boy or a girl? We don't have that ultrasound until next week but we're actually not going to find out this time. We have one of each, stuff for either, & we're happy to wait and see.

We're ecstatic & cannot wait for this newest addition to the Carter Clan!

P.S. This news might also explain a couple posts over the past few months- like about baby blankets, potential baby names, & food cravings.

Sweet Rob's "ALL ABOUT ME" Book

2011-09-16T16:46:00.006-06:00

When I picked Rob up from preschool today he had an "All About Me" book ready to show off. It had all sorts of fun things: his fingerprints, a little family tree, etc. All so cute!

But my favorite was his adorable "My Favorites" list & his "What I Want to Be" picture.

Check 'em out:

First off, I love that he mentions Syd frequently & how much he adores her: love playing with her, loves books about her, & made up a favorite song about her. All SO CUTE!

Also, I love that his favorites include Chuck-E-Cheese especially considering that we've NEVER been to a Chuck-E-Cheese. Ever. Also, he doesn't jump rope. We don't even own A jump rope. Aw, I love it.

And can we just talk about how he's adjusted what he wants to be when he grows up to WITCH. The teacher & I had a good laugh over that. Oh man, I love this kid.

What we've been up to:

2011-09-14T09:38:00.010-06:00

1. Getting to bed earlier. We are not morning people, in fact we are the anti-morning people. But with kiddos back in school we're slowly forcing our bodies into the unnatural early morning hours.

2. Fights have lessened. Getting a break from each other during the day has done wonders for this relationship. They still fight like it's their job, but it's getting better. By the end of summer I was ready to knock some heads together.

3. Sunday game playing. Ah me, what can I say... we love having family & friends over for good food & good competition. Join us anytime- but we don't go easy on noobs!

4. Rambo has started sleeping with Syd. I don't blame him. He used to sleep with Bearto but that kid takes after his mom- major night trasher/wiggler & yes, Syd thinks sleeping in a nightcap is the "coolest".

5. Bonding with our new kitty. I see this cat like all day long. She wants to cuddle, play, meow constantly. It's taking some getting used to because Babykiller pretty much avoided humans like the plague.

6. Bonding with friends. Miss Lilly (Malea & James lil' one) is getting old enough to play with Syd & Rob and they are loving hanging out with her whenever possible (bathtime included).

What have you, my favorite peoples, been up to?

The Weekend

2011-09-12T17:07:00.005-06:00

We managed to spend the weekend not doing much more than this...

It was a glorious bonding time.
But another animal or child & we're going to need a bigger bed.

How did you guys spend the weekend?

RECIPE: Penna Rosa

2011-09-06T11:09:00.007-06:00

PENNA ROSA from Noodles&Co. is my favorite. I finally searched to see if there was a homemade equivalent. I made this the other night & I'd say its darn close. Nothing really equals someone else cooking for you, but its tasty-tasty!

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 lb penna pasta
1 TB white cooking wine
1 TB olive oil
1/2 tsp ground red pepper
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup marinara sauce
1/4 cup sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup spinach
1/2 14 oz can Italian tomatoes

DIRECTIONS:
Boil pasta.
In skillet heat wine, oil, marinara, mushrooms, tomatoes, & red pepper.
Stir for 4-5 minutes.
Add & mix pasta & cream.
Fold in spinach until wilted.

NOTES:
1) I found that this recipe was a tad on the dry side for me. I ended up just adding a bit more marinara & cream until it was the right consistency.
2) Also, the red pepper gives it a "kick" you may want to put in less or more depending on what you like, but the spice really is what makes it good!
3) I inherited a pallet of canned mushrooms when my mom passed away so I used them & they worked awesome too.
4) I used fresh tomatoes and added a bit of fresh garlic instead of canned tomatoes.

1st days of school!

2011-09-01T09:23:00.007-06:00

Rob's 1st day of school went pretty darn well. He's my shy little guy & was pretty hesitant, but he did WAY better than I was expecting.

When we got there, I hung out with him while he played & was able to leave after not too long. He's worried about going most mornings but once he's there with the other kids, he's happy to let me go.

Sydney's 1st day of school went off without a hitch. She was hard for me to see go. That school seems WAY too big for someone so small. But that Sydney Carter was MORE than ready to go.

She charges right in, says hi to people, smiles, and goes with the flow. She absolutely LOVES school & has no fear of doing something new.

Yesterday was the first day Syd & Rob went to school at the same time. We dropped Syd off & were driving Scott to work before taking Rob to preschool.

From the back seat, ROB: "Mom, if Syd's at school, and Dad's at work, and you take me to school. You're going to be all alone."

I look back & see his VERY worried expression on that little mans face.

I'm pretty sure my kids think they're around to babysit me. Scott assured him that I'd be just fine on my own, but even when I dropped Rob off he gave me an extra big hug & said "Don't worry, Mom. I'll see you soon."

Ah me, it's simultaneously awesome & devastating to see them grow up.

P.S. Last years back-to-school-ness here!

New Kitty

2011-08-29T16:37:00.005-06:00

Since we lost Babykiller we've had two VERY depressed gentlemen in this house the past week- a seriously mopey puppy & one bummed out Scott.

So, Saturday we decided to take a look at the animal shelter to see if we could find a companion for both Rambo & Scott. Shelters are hard places to be, but we're so glad we went because we got to play with some cute animals & came home with our perfect pet.

Yes, Rambo & kitty (yet to be named) LOVE each other. They are snuggle/play partners & Rambo is MUCH happier these days!

Scott wants to call her "MegaTron". Syd voted for "Litter". Rob want's "Clumsy". And I like the name "MayBell" (because then I could call her with a southern accent).

Feel free to weigh in with name opinions!

Baby Quilts

2011-08-25T08:25:00.000-06:00

I am not a quilter but I want to be. I never really learned & have no idea where to start but I'm thinking of starting on something on the smaller side. So, I've been looking at baby quilts. Aren't they just lovely:

1. Love the vintage-ish fabric choice, the color combo, & the red herringbone stitching
2. This quilt is bold & bright & probably one of my favorites
3. I love seesucker fabric & this looks like a relatively easy one to make
4. I've got a thing for color gradation rainbows like this- so pretty
5. Linen is the perfect backdrop for these bright red, pink, and oranges
6. My lovely writer friend Rachel made this adorable bunting quilt

Sad news for the Carters

2011-08-23T08:59:00.012-06:00

Our sweet kitty Babykiller passed away on Friday. It was a sad day for the Carter family. She went downhill fast, but we're thankful we had time to spend time with her & say goodbye.

She was an awesome kitty & we had 9 wonderful years with her: she was totally quirky & an awesome protector of the house.

One of my best memories of Babykiller is her absolute refusal to drink out of a waterbowl. Every morning without fail she waits by the tub to get her fresh water out of the tap.

Babykiller, thank you for taking care of the family & being so much fun. You will be missed.

Back to School GOODIES!

2011-08-18T12:05:00.003-06:00

1. Love the idea of giving a back-to-school gift to your kiddos & love this wrapping
2. Cute clips
3. Love this backpack (I almost got it for Syd but she needs a bag that can hold a piece of paper & these backpacks are unfortunately too small)
4. Love these print out signs (with the date on it too)
5. My lovely friend, Rachel, has been doing adorable bento box lunches for her kids- when it's time for Syd & Rob to have lunches I'm SO doing this!
6. My cousin Katie does fun back to school family nights/dinners with her boys. Love it!
7. Tote bags for little ones
8. An ADORABLE pattern to make your own toddler backpack
9. Groovy shirts for your back-to-school kids

RECIPE: Ricotta & Vanilla Ravioli

2011-08-18T09:45:00.011-06:00

My lovely friend, Meagan, is an amazing cook. She brought me these ricotta & vanilla ravioli with orange mint dipping sauce & it was just about the tastiest thing I have EVER had. So, yesterday I asked her to teach me.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons orange zest, from 1 medium orange
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 egg, beaten
24 round potsticker wrappers

(note: we used square potstickers & there worked great too)

1/2 cup fresh orange juice, from 1 medium orange
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves

(note: we needed more like 2 oranges to get enough juice)

AND... veggie oil for frying

We had some lovely fresh mint from my friend Malea's yard & it's the first time I've ever worked with a vanilla bean & a zester.

For the cheesy insides you just combine all the first ingredients together- easy peasy.

To seal the ravioli's you need a mixed up egg rub it on the edge, seal at the tip, & then seal it down the edges.

The orange dipping sauce is super easy too- just add the juice & sugar and boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 more minutes, then let it sit for 20 minutes. When you are ready to serve it, add the chopped mint to the sauce (which I forgot to add in the pictures below).

To fry them just add veggie oil to the bottom of the pan (or if you are cool like Meagan you have a fryer you can use) & cook them until golden brown.

And TA-DA there is a lovely, light dessert!

My Mom

2011-08-16T09:37:00.011-06:00

Today is my mom's birthday & for the past few weeks I've been going through/scanning tons of pictures/documents/interesting mementos to compile on a CD & give to family/friends.

I hope you'll indulge me while I post a few (okay, a bunch) of my favorites:

"The Laughing Heart"

2011-08-14T19:33:00.003-06:00

I saw this Levi's commercial on Hulu the other day & was ecstatic that it had one of my favorite American poems in it. It's only a minute long & so lovely- enjoy:

your life is your life
don’t let it be clubbed into dank submission.
be on the watch.
there are ways out.
there is a light somewhere.
it may not be much light but
it beats the darkness.
be on the watch.
the gods will offer you chances.
know them.
take them.
you can’t beat death but
you can beat death in life, sometimes.
and the more often you learn to do it,
the more light there will be.
your life is your life.
know it while you have it.
you are marvelous
the gods wait to delight
in you.

-Charles Bukowski

Parliament ROCKS!

2011-08-12T23:22:00.006-06:00

This is totally random but I was just telling Scott that I wish our C-SPAN (which I grew up watching) was more like the British Parliament.

Not only would it be more entertaining to watch but, if we just got it all out there I'm willing to bet we'd get a bit more done.

Meet our new vacuum

2011-08-11T22:38:00.005-06:00

My lovely mother-in-law came out to visit us a couple months back & I think she was horrified by our "duct-taped-together-&-only-the-hose-works" vacuum & bought us a new one.

And, man, I'm not terribly housewife-y or anything but this vacuum is like BUTTER! So easy to use even a...

...yes, child could use it!

Syd & Rob can now vacuum their own rooms, along with pretty much every other room in the house.

Oh happy day, is all I have to say about that.

Names

2011-08-09T21:13:00.002-06:00

Sometimes I just love the way people end up spelling my name...

And the "red" comment is the color of our car. So, no worries, that's not how they spelled "Carter".

Lazy Day

2011-08-08T22:33:00.007-06:00

Some days are just plain lazy days.
And I'm sure you all know the type...
The "don't-get-dressed-until-lunch" kinda day.
The "open-a-can-of-Spaghettios-instead-of-cook" kinda day.
The "go-so-far-as-to-microwave-them-so-you-don't-dirty-a-pan" kind of day.
And the day that is so lazy it's an "eat-it-out-of-a-communal-bowl" kinda day.

What can I say, even mamas need a mental health day.

Camping Fun

2011-08-05T21:41:00.008-06:00

The last time we went camping was almost 3 years ago, & it was majorly faux camping. Because, I am NOT a camper by nature &, honestly, camping with kids kinda sucks.

So, we decided to go just up the canyon for one night with Scott's brother & his lovely if Kristal (seasoned campers) & I have to say it ended up being a BLAST!

We hung around the fire chatting, laughing, & telling stories.

And generally re-bonding!

One of my favorite parts was making tasty foil meals (in fact a whole post will be devoted only to the hints I've learned).

The kids LOVED staying up late, playing with flashlights, & throwing logs on the fire.

We woke up having slept decently well & with big smiles!

It was a lot of fun, & while I may not be an "every weekend" type of camper, we will definitely be doing it again!

"Bada, Bada Firework"

2011-08-04T12:31:00.002-06:00

For your listening & viewing pleasure I'd like to introduce Sydney's rendition of "Baby You're a Firework":

She thinks she's singing pop, but I'm pretty sure this kid is destined for Broadway, baby!

Angsty Middle School Poetry

2011-08-03T12:36:00.011-06:00

NOTE: If you cringe at other peoples embarrassment I'd skip this blog post 'cause it's gonna get all sorts of embarrassing up in here!

A couple weeks ago my dad sent me this...

Does it look familiar? Possibly a little like your own awkward middle school angsty poetry notebook?

And just for you, my lovely friends, I'm putting my agonizing, artless, a little annoying authorship out there for all of you to enjoy. Just consider it a gift for sticking with me through my lack of blogging lately.

Without further ado, behold the greatness:

If I had the time & you guys had the interest I could break these down piece by piece and mock every line, every choice of word, but I'll let you guys do that on your own!

My favorites would be this one about my middle school- ack, it just makes me cringe. And this one (out of like 80 "hate poems") that I think is supposed to be a "love poem".

Let's all thank our lucky stars that I didn't become a poet or it'd grim for us all.

Anyone else as angst ridden as I was in middle school?
Did you take it out, like me, on your poor little notebook?

Typical Sunday at the Carter's

2011-08-01T18:07:00.005-06:00

Oh how I love a nice relaxing Sunday. Typically we:
go to church
come home & relax
snuggle
play games with the kids
have dinner & games with friends/family
put the kids to bed
snuggle some more

What about you guys?

Hunger Games: Movie News

2011-08-01T09:33:00.009-06:00

I tend to not worry too much about the casting in movies from my favorite books. Even if at first the actors seem REALLY wrong for the parts with a dye job, make up, loosing/putting on weight, etc they always seem to turn out great.

Thankfully after seeing these promo shots for the main actors for Hunger Games I'm so excited. They look perfect!

And if you don't know the rest of the cast, it looks like it's going to be uber-some big name actors that I think could be awesome for their parts.

1. President Snow 2. Ceaser Flickerman 3. Effie Trinket
4. Haymitch Abernathy 5. Cinna 6. Claudius Templesmith

If you don't know what I'm talking about then get thee forth to my house to borrow the Hunger Games trilogy before March 23, 2012 when the movie is released!

What do you guys think?
Are you as excited as I am?

Pioneer Day Goodness

2011-07-30T12:16:00.006-06:00

Here in Utah we have a huge state celebration called Pioneer Day- on the 24th of July to celebrate Brigham Young & the pioneers entry into the Salt Lake Valley.

It's kind of a America celebration too so the everyone was dressed up in red, white, & blue- Syd & Rob decided that meant matchy Spiderman/Spidergirl outfits.

It's huge, almost bigger than the 4th here, and we had a neighborhood celebration with breakfast, fire trucks, & a mini-kids parade.

It also means we have fireworks from the 4th to the 24th- LOTS of fun!

Family Night: THE POOL

2011-07-26T20:47:00.004-06:00

The kids & I have gone to the pool a couple times this summer, but they have been begging to swim with Scott.

So, for family night we met Malea & Lily and Linds over at our local Veterans Memorial Pool.

Oh, man, we had a BLAST! They have an awesome kids area, tube slides, basically all manner of family fun!

Clumsy Carter

2011-07-20T17:45:00.005-06:00

ME: "Hey, Syd if we have another baby would you want it to be a girl or boy?"
SYD: "A boy. So Rob has someone to play with."
(basically so Rob will leave her alone)
ME: "Rob would like that."
SYD: "And we should name him Clumsy."
ME: "Clumsy Carter? I don't think we can name him that."
SYD: "I know, I know. It's a girls name."

Yeah, because that's the problem I have with Clumsy Carter.

Family Night: Neighborhood Service

2011-07-18T20:22:00.003-06:00

For "Family Night" tonight we talked about service & serving the people around us.

For our service "activity" we decided to take a walk around the neighborhood & pick up trash. A few fights broke out about who got to pick up what piece, but all in all I'd call it a successful night.

A lovely weekend

2011-07-18T15:18:00.008-06:00

FRIDAY night Scott & I went on a date with some of Scott's work friends. As you might remember last time we MEGA dressed up with Scott's family, this time we decided to go low key with some "deathly hallow" shirts I made.

As always it was a blast! Loved the movie, had fun with friends, & enjoyed a night out!

SATURDAY we did a lot of house/yard/car work then in the evening headed over to the annual Llama Festival. The kids had a blast!

Winner of WHITE CAT

2011-07-18T15:08:00.004-06:00

So, remember how I had a contest like FOREVER ago? Yeah, I kinda stink & spaced it until Scott reminded me yesterday.

So, without further ado & with much apologizes the winner is...

KRISTAL!

(Aw, that's right my awesome sister-in-law Kristal!) Hope you enjoy & anyone who hasn't read this go pick up a copy. I LOVED IT!

No idea what it's about? Check out the book trailer:

Happy HARRY POTTER Day!

2011-07-14T17:41:00.004-06:00

1. Love this shirt
2. Golden snitch cake pops
3. Cute cards
4. Adorable freezer stencil shirt
5. Harry Potter puppets
7. Labels for your sodas
8. Yet another "keep calm" poster but HP theme
9. Gorgeous remade covers to all the HP books!

And can you believe how the cast has grown up?

Especially that Neville Longbottom. I don't even recognize him!

A Conversation with Rob

2011-07-09T10:34:00.003-06:00

ROB: "Hey mom, how fast does Jesus run?"
ME: "Jesus, as in Jesus?"
(I point to a picture of Jesus in our house)
ROB: "Yeah, how fast does he run?"
ME: "Umm... I don't know, buddy."
ROB: "Well, he's the fastest on the whole planet."
(my confused pause)
ME: "Where did you hear that?"
ROB: "On Diego."
(Then the light in my brain goes off)
ME: "Cheetahs, buddy. Cheetahs. Not Jesus."
ROB: "Oh..."

One disappointed son.

Love on a Tuesday

2011-07-05T21:32:00.004-06:00

Perusing the frozen food aisle at the grocery store, I was stopped in my tracks by a craving.
Stoffer's Mac & Cheese.
I have no clue where the idea came from, but I gave into my baser urges & bought a big box.
Everyone else in the family, including Robert my mac&cheese lover, agreed it was 'eh'.
For me, it was liquid cheesy gold to my taste buds.
And I can't wait to have it for lunch tomorrow.