My Life

Happy Birthday Macy!!!

2012-02-13T08:05:00.001-06:00

Our little Macy B. is 4 years old today!!

Happy Birthday Baby!! We LOVE you so much!!

Snowy Weekend.

2012-02-06T15:55:00.001-06:00

Everyone is finally feeling normal again after our round with the stomach flu.

A special thanks to my in laws for coming over last week and taking Reese and Macy for the day while I was home sick. It is just too hard to meet the needs of a 2 year old, 3 year old, and a dog while you are that sick. Thanks Bob and I really appreciate your help and the kids had a great day!!

The kids were thrilled about getting 9 1/2 inches of snow Friday night! When I woke up Saturday morning, Andrew was heading out to shovel and the kids were right on his heels. Reese would not even wait to get dressed. He just threw his coat on over his PJ's, which I was happy to see. In the past, he has been pretty whiny about being out in the cold and snow....glad to see he is outgrowing that!

She just had to wear that skirt, and later in the day, she wore her skirt over her snowsuit!

On Sunday afternoon Andrew took the kids sledding on Tornado Hill. By himself!

I felt like I should go to help, participate in the memory, and take a few pictures...but I didn't.

I let go of my guilt and relished in the opportunity to have the quiet house all to myself. And when the kids came home stomping though the door red cheeked and grinning ear to ear, I knew they didn't even miss me.

It's just how we roll.

2012-02-01T20:51:00.001-06:00

Sorry it has taken me so long to get this posted. I came down with the flu, then Andrew, and then Emma. So things have been pretty yucky around here. But, I think we are all on the mend now.

So our big news:

We are moving again!!!

I know, I know, you are all thinking we are crazy. (I've wondered that a time or two recently as well) But, a really great position came up in Columbus that Andrew could not pass up.

He will be working in an all CRNA group at the hospital. It is a very hard group to get into and they don't usually take people so "fresh out of school".
When Andrew heard they had an opening he decided to submit his resume and leave the rest up to God. We were both excited when they called to request an interview. We went out for the interview and were really impressed with both the new hospital and the anesthesia group. But we knew that it was a long shot as they had several candidates.
A week later they called and offered him the job!!

We did not plan to stay in Grand Island for only a year, but we knew in our hearts that this would not be a permanent place for us. We are sad to be leaving family, friends, and Emma's awesome school. But, this is an opportunity that we could not pass up, and definitely what is best for our family. (And it does not hurt that we will only be a little over an hour from Omaha!!)

So, as much as I hate moving, especially with a baby on the way, it just seems to be how we roll.

I will say this: This will be the last move for The Carlson family for several, several years.

Now we have to get our house sold and find a new one.
Oh the stress!

If you know of anyone who is looking for a new 4 bedroom, 3 bath ranch...send them my way!

21 Weeks.

2012-01-30T08:55:00.001-06:00

Today I'm at 21 weeks, which means that we are over the halfway point!!!

I'm thrilled about this because
1) I can't wait to meet this new little one, and
2) This pregnancy has been tough.

It has been way more difficult than the last three which has made things difficult for all of us.
I was so, so sick for what seemed like forever. More sick than I have ever felt.

And I'm kindof a whimp about being sick. Now, childbirth without any meds....no problem. But being sick....that's a problem for me.

I hated it that I had NO energy to do anything beside lay on the couch and stumble to the kitchen 3 times a day to make a meal for my family....that I could not even eat.

I even went to bed every night at 8:00 because I literally could not keep my eyes open another second.

I felt like puking every second of every day and I had no energy for the kids. I felt like a bad Mom and a bad wife. But thankfully I have a very loving husband who"gets it" and never made me feel guilty for a second for practically living on the couch for 3 1/2 months.

Thankfully, that time has passed. I still feel a little sick every morning, but it quickly goes away so I'm not going to complain about that.

And now that I'm not sick anymore, it makes me even more excited to meet this little one!

I have my ultrasound today!! Although we won't find out if this little one is a boy or girl, I can't wait to see my baby's little face on the 3D ultrasound!

And I'm pretty sure that when I do, I will forget those horrible months of being sick completely! Well, maybe.

5 on Friday.

2012-01-27T09:22:00.000-06:00

1. The last few weeks have been whirlwind for several reasons! Having my brother and sister home and everyone together has been so wonderful. My sister went back home to Alabama, but my brother is still here for another week or so. Our time together is precious because it is so rare.

2. We have had a bug around here. Macy had it last weekend and then Reese woke up at 2 am Thursday morning and has been sick ever since. I know I'm pretty blessed because my kids really don't get sick very often. But when they do, I just HATE it. It makes me feel so helpless and as a mother, feeling helpless is one of the worst feelings in the world.

3. Right after Christmas my mom had foot surgery on both feet. She stayed with us for awhile to recover and has been off work for about a month. It has been awesome having her around to help with the kids. She loves to just take them for a day or an evening which is great for everyone. Last week Mom and I went to Emma's school and then had lunch with her. (Josh stayed home to babysit the little ones). We had a great time and it made Emma feel so special to have us there.
I really wish Mom did not have to go back to work. Maybe I could convince her to stay home and just work for The Carlson Family! Ha!

4. Have you checked out Life to Her Years lately? I just love checking in on that site. It is just so sweet. Especially if you have daughters!

5. Some big and exciting news coming up for the Carlson Family. Can't wait to share that with you next week!

Have a wonderful weekend!! Stay well!!

Love.

2012-01-23T09:09:00.000-06:00

This little one loved having auntie Sarah home.
One afternoon they spent their time coloring, doing crafts, and talking.
I just sort of stayed out of their way and let Macy have that coveted one on one time with Sarah.

It was so fun just to listen to them talk. Sarah would ask her questions and she just loved answering them.

My favorite of the day:

Sarah: So Macy, what do you think you want to be when you grow up?

Macy: I want to be a cowgirl and live with my mom and dad.

Sarah: That sounds great!

Macy: Yeah, but how do you think I'm gonna get my horse?

It was so funny to hear, as it had just dawned on her that if she was going to be a cowgirl then she needed a horse. And she just was not too sure about how to accomplish that!

For all FRIENDS lovers.

2012-01-17T08:51:00.000-06:00

Last week while at the library Reese walked right up to a cute little girl and said:
"How yoooou doin?"

I almost died with laughter and so did the little girl's Mom.

Maybe I need to start calling him Joey because he is becoming quite the ladies man.
Maybe he has paid a little more attention to all those F*R*I*E*N*D*S reruns than I originally thought!

Some other things he has done lately to crack me up:
*Asks for lunch everyday around 9:00 am.

*When I leave him he says "I'll try to survive without you"

*When he really wants something he says "peese, peese, peese"

*Asks me "Mommy, are you happy?"

*Gives me a big hug and says "You're a nice Mommy"

*At this very moment he is sing "Santa Clause is coming to town". Oh how I love that little two year old voice!

Tomorrow.

2012-01-13T11:42:00.000-06:00

"Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love you tomorrow, you're only a day away!!"

Tomorrow Mom, Brooke, and I are going to the Omaha airport to pick up BOTH my brother and my sister!!!!
Josh is flying in from South Korea where he is stationed, and Sarah is flying in from Auburn Alabama!

Josh was home last summer, but Sarah has not been back home since Thanksgiving 2010. We have not all been together in over a year and I can't wait! We are going to do our family Christmas and just be together..laughing, eating, and talking.

Did I mention that I can't wait???

I love these two so much that my heart hurts and I can't wait to see my siblings again!!

Sarah

Josh

Christmas Pageant.

2012-01-11T07:55:00.000-06:00

As I mentioned before, Emma had a ton of practices leading up to the big church Christmas Pageant.
Luckily Reese and Macy just had practice during Sunday school.

On the night of the pageant I knew it would be crowded so I got to the church to secure seats at the front and I was so glad I did.

All the kids did awesome and the show was great. We were so proud of all the kids!

Our Christmas 2011.

2012-01-09T09:43:00.001-06:00

We all had a lot of fun preparing for Christmas. I loved having Emma home on break and we filled our days with fun activities.

The kids loved taking a Peppermint bubble bath

I had lots of little helpers to make our Christmas goodies.

And playing with the manger scenes was a daily activity. I loved how they combined a couple different nativities and threw in a farmer, a duck, and boat captain as well! The more the merrier for the blessed event!

On Christmas Eve we drove to Central City to celebrate with the Reeves side.

Then back home just in time to set out cookies for Santa.

Then Andrew and I set the timer to take our annual Christmas Eve Photo.

On Christmas Night we went over to celebrate with the Hays/Carlson family.

Grandpa and Grandma Hays

We had a wonderful Christmas celebrating with family and friends.

A New Year.

2012-01-05T14:12:00.000-06:00

2012
I have been a bad blogger as I've taken a long (and much needed) break from the computer.
For the past few weeks I was pretty much unplugged and I have to say that there is freedom in that.

I think at times it is sad how important things like the internet, texting, email, blogging, and facebook have become.

So much precious time is wasted...time that could be better spent having a long chat with an old friend, planning out and cooking a new meal for my family, having quality time with my kids, spending time in prayer, going for a walk, snuggling up on the couch with my husband, or cleaning my house.

Now that I'm "plugged in" again, I will still blog, and check my email, and check facebook every once in awhile. But I'm going to work real hard to stop wasting so much time on the things that don't really matter in life....and focusing more on the things that do.

Due to the fact that I felt horribly sick every single day of this pregnancy, right up until Christmas, I have not taken very many photos. And the ones I did take were pretty lousy. But, I still took a lot of our Christmas and hopefully I will get around to posting them soon.

I also have several "back blogs" that I drafted, but never ended up posting in 2011, so I will be catching up on posting those as well. And the only reason for this is because I want those memories (long ago as they were) to be in our family Blog Book.

Now that I am not sick anymore, I'm very much looking forward to this new year.
A lot going on in 2012 for the Carlson family:

**In just a week two of my very favorite people in the entire world will be here for a visit!!

**Baby Carlson is due around June 11th

**This summer my brother Josh is getting married

**This summer Andrew's brother Steve is getting married

**This summer my friend Laura is getting married

And many other exciting changes may be in store!! A lot to look forward to and a TON to be thankful for!

Hope your 2012 is off to a great start!!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T09:59:00.000-06:00

Have a wonderful Christmas!!

4 more days.

2011-12-21T09:09:00.001-06:00

I can't believe that Christmas is only 4 days away!
Today is Emma's last day of school before break and I'm heading up to school today to help with the Christmas party.
Emma is probably the only kid who is sad that school is out for two weeks.
(She told us last week that her Christmas wish was to not having any days off from school....such a funny kid!)

Every December seems to fly, but looking back, it has been a really enjoyable time filled with baking, family traditions, watching TV Christmas specials, spending time with friends, singing Christmas carols, reading cards that come in the mail, and preparing for the birth of our King.

Here are a few random pictures from our home this season:

Our snowman family

Baking

Big excitement every year when we unpack the manger...and some fighting too.

Decorating the tree

Eating Christmas Cookies

Making paper chains to send off to Uncle Josh and Auntie Sarah.

Playing in the snow

I received this Christmas card in the mail last night from my Dad.
It's the first card he has sent me in seven years.
Christmas is the time for miracles!

5 on Friday.

2011-12-16T12:40:00.000-06:00

Busy, busy, December weekend for us:

1. Just got back from a playdate at the Olivers and I have to say that it is so great to get out of the house, let the kids play with others and enjoy some adult time with friends! Need to do playdates more often!

2. I'm going to take some family shots of Krynn, Shane, and baby Max today and I'm excited to see them. And also really excited about more Trader Joe's Peppermint Bark that they are bringing this way!

3. We have Andrew's Anesthesia Christmas Party tonight and tomorrow night we have the hospital anesthesia group's Christmas party. Andrew has become good friends with those guys and they are so sweet to include us. Now if I just had something to wear to these parties that fit!

4. I get to have Lunch with my BFF Amy tomorrow!! She is coming to town and I'm super excited to see her again. With living in two different towns, and having crazy busy schedules, we just don't get to spend enough time together. Then in the afternoon I'm taking the girls to the Nutcracker. I scored some free tickets and can't wait to take the girl.

5. Then Sunday is church and in the evening is the Church Christmas Program. We are not sure what to expect, but expectations are high because Emma and all the other kids have put in at least 10 hours of rehearsal. Luckily Macy & Reese only had to practice during Sunday School. We joke that it will be a Christmas Extravaganza, with all that work. Either day, I know we will love it.

I'm worn out just writing down all we have to do, but it will be fun.
It's the good stuff that December is all about.

Christmas activities.

2011-12-14T09:09:00.003-06:00

On Tuesday Emma had her first school Christmas program.
She has been practicing at school for a long time now, but would not sing any of the songs at home because she wanted it to be a surprise for us.

The day of the concert she was so excited. As we curled her hair and got her all dressed up, she kept saying "I'm so excited, but I'm NOT nervous. I'm Not nervous at all mom!"

I remember as a child my own school Christmas concerts were one of my favorite parts of the holiday season, so I was pretty excited for Emma too.

I could not believe how grown up she looked!

Her class sang four beautiful songs with actions. There is just something so sweet about the sound of little children singing.

Afterward we went out for ice cream to celebrate a job well done!

On Friday night we went out to Stuhr Museum for their Old Fashioned Christmas.
The whole place is lit by lanterns outside and all the houses and buildings had old fashioned Christmas activities inside. It was freezing that night, but all the homes were warmed by their wood burning stoves.

Reese's favorite activity was at the Hardware Store where he got to make a wooden train.

The man in the Hardware Store was so great with Reese.

Macy helped a little too.

It was really beautiful walking around on the lamplit streets, but it was FREEZING cold. I'm so glad we made the kids wear their snow suits.

But the cold did not stop us from going on a sleigh ride around the Railroad Town. That was Emma favorite part! We sang carols as we rode and Macy sang Jingle Bells louder than all of us.
When our legs grew numb and we could no longer stand the cold, we went inside the main museum building to look at the festival of trees and to see Santa.
It was a really fun night. There is just something about stepping back in time when life was simpler, but it sure makes us appreciate all our modern day conveniences such as heat!

Be Nice.

2011-12-11T14:32:00.002-06:00

For as long as Andrew and I have been together, we have been making frequent trips to Central City to visit my Grandma Reeves. But as we pull into town, the emotions that arise in the car are complete polar opposites.

I spent my childhood visiting my Grandparents on the farm and I have such wonderful and fond memories of being in Central City.

Andrew has very hurtful and depressing memories that arise.
When Andrew was between 14-15 years old he spent 9 long months living in Central City. His mother had died recently and his father had remarried and moved 4 of the boys to this small town where his new wife lived.

And sadly, the kids in that town were not very receiving of outsiders. Andrew was never even given a chance. He was picked on and treated horribly. I will not get into all the details, but I will say this. The stories he told of the cruelty he endured there still brings tears to my eyes. Kids can be SO MEAN. And it made living there very difficult for a young kid. Especially because things in his home life were not going so well either.

The only thing that kept Andrew going every day was God.
Every Sunday Andrew walked himself to church all by himself. That was where he found a little peace.

The only peace during those long 9 months.

Then, because of some other horrible circumstances that had nothing to do with Andrew and his brothers, (but still effected them greatly) they moved back to Grand Island and in with his foster parents.

(I will say that there was one bright spot during that depressing time in Central City. That is where Andrew and I first met...at a dentist office in Central City. Who knew then that 5 years later we would be married!)

Anyway, fast forward 15 years later. Now Andrew goes back to Central City (and 2 other rural hospitals) to do weekend on call work for another Nurse Anesthetist. And sometimes, like last night, one of his patients ends up being one of those kids from his past.
Now, you all know that Andrew is a professional and treats all his patients with the best care possible. No matter how badly his patient may have treated him in the past. That is his job.
But, you can guarantee that his patient is remembering Andrew and wishing that he treated this man, who literally has his very life in his hands, a little nicer way back when.

And this is not just the case on the weekends.
Every single day, during Andrew's regular job, he has friends, old neighbors, acquaintances, old teachers and classmates lives in his hands. And he has their parent's and children's lives in his hands from time to time too.

Just a few weeks back Andrew had another one of his old teachers as a patient. And that teacher said to Andrew "You know, before you put me under, I was trying to rack my brain wondering what kind of bad things I may have done to you in the past. Hoping there were none!"

Andrew's story sure has made me rethink my actions and inspires me to be a better person every day.

What a powerful lesson for all of us. A lesson from God.
Be Nice. Treat others with respect and kindness.
Because you NEVER know when you might really need that person to be on your good side.
Plus, it's just the right thing to do!!

BE NICE!

5 on Friday.

2011-12-09T12:20:00.000-06:00

1. All season I have been craving Trader Joe's Peppermint Bark. But since there is not a Trader Joe's in GI, or even within an hour of here, I've been left to just dream about it. Well, guess what showed up in the form of a package in the mail this week?

My amazing friend Krynn from Omaha sent it. Isn't she the sweetest. Made. My. Whole. Night. Thanks Krynn, you are the best!

2. Guess who got a new look?

Yes we chopped off the girls hair and we all are in love with the new look!

3. We are having a strong man contest around here. Anyone want to sign up?

My money is on Reese.

4. We are loving all the snow here. It really puts us in the Christmas spirit. Looking forward to a cozy weekend here at home as Andrew is on call. I see hot chocolate, snowman building, and sledding in our near future.

5. Have a wonderful weekend!!!

31 days of Christmas Challenge.

2011-12-07T06:01:00.000-06:00

One of the reasons we really wanted to scale down our Christmas and focus on Christ's love was because of our church's 31 days of Christmas Challenge.
All of us got a daily calendar (Dec. 1st-31st) and on each day there is a scripture to read as a family and an action point to accomplish. The actions are all based around doing something good for others such as Pray for someone in need of direction, Contact a friend and encourage them, Help the first person where an opportunity arises, Refresh someone with a beverage,... It is really encouraging us to give the gift of ourselves.

On Monday we ended up bringing dinner to a family in need and the day's challenge was Give the gift of bread.

Don't worry, their hands were clean!

So, the kids and I decided to make Great Grandma Hassebrook's Cinnamon Rolls to bring with the dinner. We had a great time baking and talking about giving the rolls away. Macy was a little concerned she would not get to eat one (I assured her we'd save a few for us too) but mostly the kids were just excited about helping out. It led to some great discussion of why helping others is the best gift you can give.

This 31 Days of Christmas Challenge has already brought so many wonderful moments to our family and we are only on day 7. I can't wait to see what the rest of the month holds!

It has taught me again how much God shows others his love through us. Which I was reminded of again last night:
Reese spent the evening with my Mom visiting my Grandma Reeves at her assisted living home. He is such a little charmer and loves visiting with the older women there. And last night he was on a roll. Mom said he went around after supper and told all the ladies all about Santa, what he wanted for Christmas, and how he needs to pick up his toys before Santa will bring him new ones.
Mom said the ladies lit up and just loved it. They could not get enough of this little 2 year old entertaining them all.

Then Mom said "Just think, tonight there are about 12 or so older women who went to bed with smiles on their faces thinking about that sweet little boy that made their night!"

Indeed, God does show others his love through us. Even through a 2 year old boy!

SURPRISE!!!

2011-12-04T18:27:00.001-06:00

God has blessed us again!
Baby Carlson #4 due to arrive June 2012!!

Thanksgiving 2011.

2011-11-29T09:09:00.001-06:00

When Emma got out of school last Tuesday for Thanksgiving break, I told her she had 5 days off of school. She was a little upset because she loves school and did not want to be away that long. Then she said "I bet my teacher is sad too. I just know he misses us and wishes we still had school."
Um....right Emma!

Anyway,
This year we had three Thanksgiving meals.
On Thursday we hosted the Reeves side for the noon meal. It was really nice having everyone over. Lots of people, Lots of good food!

The Little Kiddie table.

Way more food than necessary, but it just would not be a Reeves holiday if we did not do overkill with the food.

My sweet cousin Mandy made us all "Thankful Rolls"

Baked inside was a piece of paper that had a blessing or something to be thankful for.

It was so neat and so creative

This one says:

"I'm thankful for my cousins that need to move back to my town"

(that one was meant for us...Mandy lives in Omaha)

Others said things like:

"Thankful for a loving family", "Thankful for the gift of Motherhood", "Thankful that we are all breaking bread together", "Thankful for our health", "Thankful for our amazing family"

After we ate, the women started looking at Black Friday ads and the kids started Christmas wishing.

But why look at ads when the kids had so much more fun playing with the Ipad.

Some of the Great grandkids with Grandma Reeves.

This lady...well she is the reason we are all here! And we love her so much!

Bella trying to steal Reese's cookie.

After everyone left, we headed over to Andrew's family for Thanksgiving supper where we stuffed ourselves again!

Emma and Emily goofing around.

We have no leaves in our yard, but Reese found some at Grandma and Grandpa's place to play in.

She looks like she is up to something!

Grandpa with the Grandkids.

So many desserts, so little time.

The girls with uncle Daniel

They decided they would try to tame that hair for him.

And he did not even mind...he has a soft spot for his nieces.

On Saturday we headed to Platte Center to celebrate Thanksgiving with the Hassebrook side. We always have so much fun seeing them all again and the kids have a blast playing with their cousins. We eat, talk, play football, play games, and then eat some more. Unfortunately I did not get a single picture.

I did get up early to do little Black Friday shopping. I got a few good deals, but did not go overboard. I only bought what we needed for Christmas.
We are making a conscious effort to scale things down, and remember that the real meaning of Christmas is about Jesus and not material things. We don't need stuff to make us feel good. We need God's love to make us feel good. And we want the kids to learn that from an early age.
But in this day and age it seems harder to do.

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2011-11-24T09:23:00.000-06:00

This year instead of a THANKFUL board, we did a THANKFUL Tree.

After supper we would each say one thing we were thankful for and I would write it on a leaf. Then the kids would hang it on the tree.
I love doing this because it really helps to put things in perspective and teaches the kids to be thankful for all of God's wonderful gifts to us.
The kids love it too. In fact, in September Emma started asking when we were going to start out Thankful list!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Pumpkin Patch.

2011-11-20T18:47:00.000-06:00

This year we went to The Scarecrow Patch and had a great time. It was just the right size with the perfect amount of activities for our kids.

5 on Friday.

2011-11-18T08:50:00.000-06:00

1. Twilight: Breaking Dawn comes out today and I have a date with my dear friend Jessie to see it! I can't wait!
Of course this is only after we go to Emma's school movie night, where we are watching The Incredibles. Guess which one I'm going to enjoy more??

2. This little fireman/superman has been working really hard on potty training and we are so proud of him!

3. So excited that Thanksgiving is next week! I've been shopping and can't wait to do some holiday baking next week. Emma will be off school on Wednesday and I know both girls are excited to help. And while sometimes it is frustrating and way more time consuming to have them help, it is worth it to share those fun times with them. Now...what to do with Reese during that time.....any takers????

4. So thankful for our parents! On Wednesday, Mom (who is an amazing cook) had us over for a good old hearty meal of pot roast, mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls, carrots, apple pie, and ice cream. My mouth is still watering thinking about it. Then last night Andrew's parents stopped over and took us out for supper. It's not often that I don't cook a meal for my family of five and this week I got two nights off. That was awesome and so much appreciated! Thanks Parents!!!

5. Happy Friday Everyone! Enjoy the weekend!

First Dusting.

2011-11-17T08:03:00.000-06:00

We had our first dusting of snow yesterday afternoon and the kids were thrilled.
They raced to the window and were giddy with delight.

Macy said, "Does this mean that when we wake up tomorrow it will be winter?"
Um...No, thank goodness.

Reese said "Santa's going to come because of the snow!"
Andrew replied "No, Santa comes on Christmas."
Reese: "Santa comes on Christmas Trees???"

Um...not quite.

While she's away..

2011-11-15T08:10:00.000-06:00

When Emma started Kindergarten she was a little worried about Puppy.
She gave us strict instructions:
"While I'm away be sure to you give Puppy food and water. And be sure to take him for a walk and be sure to give him lots of love!"
She claimed she was worried about Puppy, but I knew that she was just worried about how much she was going to miss Puppy during the day.
And I don't blame her one bit because after all, her and Puppy go way back.

Emma got Puppy from her Great Grandma and Grandpa Hassebrook on her 1st birthday. As you can see, it was love at first sight!

She just hugged and hugged that little Puppy.

And she was done for. Puppy has been her very favorite toy ever since. She never goes to bed without Puppy.

And after years of washing, and a few holes I've had to mend, it has held up pretty well.

After Emma started Kindergarten and realized that she could make it through the day without Puppy, she was pretty happy.
And I knew exactly what she was going through, because I had a certain blanket that I did not want to leave at home when I ventured off to Kindergarten. But I survived without it during the day, just like Emma.

I still have my favorite childhood blanket. It's been around 32 years. I have a feeling that Puppy is going to be around that long as well.

When life hurts.

2011-11-10T09:22:00.000-06:00

Right now it seems there are a lot of people in my life that are going through something tough or struggling with something.
Sometimes life just hurts.
And it makes me really sad.
In fact when people I love are hurting I feel enveloped in sadness.
But then God goes and throws this beautiful sunrise at me and reminds me that he is in charge.

That there is hope when things seem hopeless.
That he has a reason for doing the things he does even when we don't (and may never) know what that reason is.
That he loves us and wants us to give our struggles to him.
And that the promise of a new day with new hope and new possibilities is just on the horizon.

Having a boy...

2011-11-07T07:01:00.000-06:00

Having a little boy means...

-dropping everything several mornings a week and racing outside in our bare feet and jammies just to catch a glimpse of a Garbage truck passing bye.

-getting a daily shower of spit from his sound effects.

-waking up every morning at 6am to a little voice over the monitor shouting "MOM! I GOTTA GO POTTY MOM!

-finding the potty chair (sometimes with pee still in it) drug all over the house because is serves as a great step stool.

-doubling the amount of meat I buy at the grocery store.

-hearing a request for corn dogs for breakfast every morning. (no thank you)

-having long conversations about trucks, trains, tractors, and construction equipment.

-not being able to go on a walk without stopping 20 times to find sticks, throw dirt clods, stomp in puddles, or roll in the dirt.

-hearing "I wuv you" several times a day.

-pointing out (and sometimes following) every single garbage truck and construction vehicle we see around town.

-having every possible toy turned into a sword.

-never wanting to have his face washed.

Caught him trying to cook these corn dogs on his grill.

Something tells me this is not going to work.

5 on Friday.

2011-11-04T12:21:00.000-05:00

1. It's the first Friday of the month which means it's MOPS (mother of preschoolers) day. I have really enjoyed this group. The kids love it too because they love playing with friends for a few hours and I love having a break and being with other Moms. It's a win-win!

2. Has anyone seen the new Footloose movie? I must say that it is awesome and I think I love it just as much as the first one from 1984! The new Willard is hilarious and surprisingly my favorite character. Thanks Brookins for being my movie date!

3. Next movie I can't wait to see: Twilight Breaking Dawn: Pt I!! I know I should be ashamed to admit this, but I honestly know TONS of adult women who are with me on this one!

4. Took the kids to the mall the other day and it is all decked out in Christmas decorations and displays. I think it's a tad early considering it is only the first week in November. (Sorry Amy, I know you are not with me on this one :) )

5. While I'm not ready for all the shopping yet, I was kind of hoping we would see some of the snow that my friends in Omaha had this week. It would have been fun for the kids...especially since it melted right away.

Have a wonderful weekend!!

Soccer.

2011-11-02T10:24:00.001-05:00

We finished up the fall soccer season at the end of October. I think we were all glad that it was over.
The girls had a lot of fun, but we did not like being gone 3 nights a week.
The girls each had a game everyone week and then Emma had an extra practice once a week as well.

But they did really enjoy it and it was great exercise for them too.

Emma:

Macy:

This one of Macy out in La-La Land cracks me up!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-01T16:01:00.000-05:00

Our little ones had a very Happy Halloween. They just could not wait to get out there and collect candy.
Uncle Steve and Molly even came from Kearney to join in the festivities.

Tiger, Jasmine, Rapunzel

Scary Tiger!!

Jessie's family pictures.

2011-10-31T08:38:00.000-05:00

Thanks everyone for all your calls, kind words, and support last week.
We are still worried about my Grandma Henderson as she is not doing well. She was not even able to attend my Grandfather's visitation because she spent the day in the Emergency Room. She is just very frail and has a broken heart. Please keep her in your prayers.
In good news, my other Grandma Reeves is doing well and is supposed to get out of the hospital this week.

A week ago I got to take my friend Jessie's family pictures! Such a sweet family.
Here are some of my favorites:

Carving 'em up.

2011-10-30T12:53:00.001-05:00

Our traditional pumpkin carving was a little less messy this year, as the kids are getting older, and a lot of fun!
Emma was able to carve her own for the first time which we all thought was pretty cool.

Gone with God.

2011-10-25T08:58:00.000-05:00

Saturday morning my Grandpa left this earth for a better place.

For the past year his health has been failing, but at 93 they were still living at home independently and taking care of each other.
But last April as I left after a visit, I could not help but feel dread. Then when I saw them a few weeks later I felt more of the same. Grandpa had gotten so much worse and Grandma was just not strong enough to lift him and take care of him on her own. But they just did not want to give up their independence. Who could blame them?

In June, as heartbreaking as it was, my Grandpa went into a nursing home. And every single day my Grandma was there visiting him.

Now we are just worried about my Grandma who lost her best friend.

I did one of my very first post about their amazing love story. You can read it here.

My Grandpa was truly one of the kindest men I have ever known and his love for my Grandma was one for the storybooks. I love him and will miss him greatly.

5 on Friday.

2011-10-21T08:07:00.000-05:00

1. After spending the whole week cooped up in the house, the kids are finally feeling better. We all have cabin fever.

2. Good thing the kids and I are making a quick trip to Omaha today for a wedding. We all are excited to just get out of the house.

3. I wish I could say my Grandparents are better, but they are not. It's hard to see them not themselves.

4. I got a good laugh out of this blog post from a gal in Texas about facebook that my cousin shared with me. It is so true and I loved reading it.

5. Have a wonderful weekend!!

Down and out.

2011-10-18T11:43:00.000-05:00

Things have been a little glum around here.
Last week two of my grandparents were in the hospital.
My Grandma Reeves went home on Sunday, but is having some difficulty.
My Grandpa Henderson was released to a nursing home and is now on Hospice. We are not sure how much longer he has.

Then Sunday night Macy started getting a bad cough and fever, which could no longer be controlled by medicine. Andrew took her to Immediate care last night. She has Croup and Ear infection. Poor little thing. She has just been in a daze.
Today Reese started to get a fever, so I'm afraid he is next.
So we are camped out in front of the TV and are watching The Lion King again.
Fun Times at the Carlson House.

Say an extra prayer for us if you think of it.

Summer projects.

2011-10-15T11:11:00.000-05:00

Right away when we moved into our new home, we knew that we needed two things.
#1 a fence, and #2 a playset.
Luckily Andrew's best freind's Mom, Jackie was getting rid of their old playset last summer and let us have it for free. So we (and by we I mean Andrew) got to work refurbishing it and making it work for our yard.

His brother Steve even came over and helped with the massive job.

Thanks Steve!!

We decided to add a playhouse for the kids at the bottom. Then we stained the whole thing which turned out to be a pretty big project.

And while the stain was drying, Andrew got busy digging post holes for our new fence.

The kids tried to help with this as well, but did not get too far.

Kids playing...Daddy working. The usual around here!

Then I got busy panting and decorating the playhouse. Andrew built the flower box and I planted the flowers and the Hosta plants.

Finished!!

The kids love it and spend hours and hours outside playing!

Thanks Andrew for the hours you spend outside in the horrible heat making our home a better place!

5 on Friday.

2011-10-14T08:54:00.001-05:00

1. I have not been very consistent lately with 5 on Friday posts. What can I say? Some weeks are just like that I guess.

2. The girls had a great time in the parade a few weeks back. It was fun to continue the family tradition of being in the Harvest of Harmony Parade.

3. Last week as I was rocking Reese before bed, he looked at me and said "Mommy, Macy doesn't love you! I love you Mommy!". I was completely shocked that a 2 year old would come up with that! Do we sense a little jealousy? I think so!

4. Turning 32 was pretty good! I had some fun celebrations with family and it is nice to feel the love.

5. Our nights have been very busy with soccer and dace. Only 1 week of soccer left for Macy this season and 2 weeks for Emma. And while they have both loved it, I think it is safe to say that we are glad it is almost over. We are homebodies and I don't like to be gone more than 2 evenings during the week. I just feel like it cuts too much into family time.

Have a wonderful weekend!!

Dance, Dance, Dance.

2011-10-12T07:16:00.001-05:00

Dance is in full swing around here and the girls just love it!
We were all a little nervous for them to start at a new studio. They LOVED Ms. Jean in Bellevue and we really miss her.

But the girls have really taken to their new instructors here at Smitty's.
It took a little tweaking to place the girls in the correct classes.
We placed Macy in the KinderCombo Intermediate class and she is doing awesome.
Emma was placed in the KinderCombo Advanced, but after her first session, I realized that she was a little advanced for that class, so we switched her to a new Ballet class and she LOVES it!
Of all the things the kids try (soccer, swimming, ball) Dance is the one activity that they truly love and excel in!

Kindercomb Outfits

Ballet outfit

She has grown up so much!
Here is a pic of my Dance Baby 2 years ago on her very first day of dance:

32.

2011-10-10T06:50:00.001-05:00

Today I'm 32 and that's about all I have to say about that!

I don't really like to post very many pics of myself alone on the blog, but this is our family's story.
And years from now when we are looking through our blog book, I know I will want to remember what we all looked like on our birthdays...including me.

Macy's First Haircut.

2011-10-08T08:56:00.000-05:00

Macy is 3.5 and had her first haircut EVER last week! She has never even had a trim and it was time.
I just hated to say goodbye to those light blonde tips, but it looks great!
Originally she told me she wanted to cut it all off, to just under her chin. But then she changed her mind and I'm glad she did. I'm really not ready to let go of her long hair yet. She has such smooth silky hair that I only wish I could have.
Maybe next time she will cut it off shorter.

Before

As soon as she sat down in the chair she decided that she did not want her haircut and started crying.

She pretty much cried though he whole haircut, but quickly go over it once it was over.

All done!

Now I can put those blonde locks in her baby book!

It begs the question...

2011-10-04T06:59:00.000-05:00

Sunday morning, while I was rushing around getting ready for church, I walked into the bathroom and saw this little guy scrubbing the inside of the toilet with MY toothbrush.

I yelled "REESE!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING??"
And he answered "Sorry Mommy, I just cleaning the toilet."

Which begs the question.....

Is this the first time he has cleaned the toilet with my toothbrush??
Or has he been cleaning it for quite some time and just never been caught?

I guess I will never know!

Happy Birthday Mom.

2011-10-02T17:54:00.000-05:00

Thanks for being such an amazing Mother and Grandmother.
Thanks for all you do.
Thanks for all the things you have taught me.
Thanks for always having my back.
Thanks for making me who I am today!
I LOVE YOU MOM!

5 on Friday.

2011-09-30T09:34:00.000-05:00

1. We had Emma's first parent teacher conference on Monday! It was fun to be on the parent side rather than be the teacher. She is doing wonderful in Kindergarten and her teacher even told us that she was the kindest, most respectful student his class. We are so proud of her! She got three days off from school this week and I have LOVED having her home with us!

2. This weekend is the annual Harvest of Harmony parade and the girls are going to walk in the parade this year with their dance company (Smitty's). So, if you are going, give us a shout as as we walk by. The girls will be in some fun costumes!

3. It has been a week of Great Grandparents around here. Last Sunday Great Grandma & Grandpa Hassebrook, and uncle Rod came for dinner. And since Emma was off from school 3 days this week, we took the opportunity to go visiting Great Grandma Reeves in Central City and Great Grandma & Grandpa Henderson in Utica.

Grandma & Grandpa Hassebrook

Grandma Reeves

Grandma Henderson

4. Seven days into Fall and I'm loving it! It's my favorite time of year!

5. I've been busy making a Birthday tutu and cake for my little niece's 1st birthday this weekend. Hard to believe she is 1 already. This is one of the announcements I made for her last year. She was just so tiny and precious! Where does the time go?

Kati's Family Pictures.

2011-09-28T09:21:00.000-05:00

My dear friend Kati ( fellow Fab Fiver) and her family came to GI last weekend and I got to take their family pictures again.

She has a beautiful family and the kids did great!

Here is a sneak peak at some of my favorites:

UNK Homecoming

2011-09-26T09:22:00.001-05:00

On Saturday we went back to UNK for Homecoming/family day, and to watch Daniel in the parade.
Did you know that 4 of the 5 Carlson brothers went/are going to UNK??
And 3 of their wives went/are going to UNK?

First we picked up Steve from his dorm, CTW, where he is an RA this year. Then we picked up our cousin Becky and Molly and headed to the parade.

Saw this awesome bus in the way.

The whole gang waiting for the parade to start.

We just happen to have a close personal connection with Louie the Loper!

Here comes the UNK marching band!

We spied Daniel right away.

We were pretty impressed that he fit all his crazy hair under that hat!

Molly showing her UNK pride.

There was a ton of candy at the parade and Emma's whole mouth turned blue from one of her suckers.

After the parade we headed to one of our old haunts for lunch.

Luke & Jakes BBQ, which is just across the street from campus, was always a favorite!

Then we went back on campus to visit.

I lived in Martin Hall for two years. I met some really close college friends in Martin Hall. Krynn, Sheraton, Jovaney, Taffney, and Andrea...you guys were awesome! It was so fun reliving some of those memories.
So sad to hear that they are planning on tearing down Martin Hall. :(

Then we hung out at the fountain for awhile.

The library on campus where I used to work.

Lastly we walked over to the bell tower so the kids could hear the chimes.

Being back at UNK was a lot of fun.

It brought back so many great memoreis....first day jitters...new friends... late night studying...sleeping in....the beginning of email....the beginning of cell phones...my Brazilian friend Daniel...the day Krynn and I became friends....Waffle Cone Wednesday runs...naps at all hours...PFM (the cafeteria)... College boys...staying up all night working on Homecoming...moving a lot...pitch games that would last all night long...weekend trips to UNL to visit Trevor...SPRING BREAKS...Laughing til I cried (a lot)...Jovaney & Sheraton...Bible Study...Rooming with Kati, Andrea, & Amy...picking up Blimpee on the way home from class and watching The Wedding Story every day...meeting my friend Cathy G. ...driving home on the weekends to see Andrew...getting two parking tickets in one day...listening to Tim & Ryan C. play their guitars...sitting by the fountain for hours...my ugly smurf blue choir dress...dances...horrible classes...awesome classes....the list goes on and on.

Thanks UNK and all my UNK friends for the wonderful memories and amazing relationships.

You know who you are!

An Afternoon at the State Fair

2011-09-24T21:33:00.000-05:00

Oops! I forgot to post these pics.
Just want to make sure to include them on my blog.
Better late than never I guess!

Happy Birthday.

2011-09-23T08:09:00.000-05:00

Andrew is 29 years old today....such a youngster.
Happy Birthday to my soul mate and the absolute best person I have ever known!
(I truly mean that, he really is the best person inside and out)

And happy birthday to his mother Vickie.
She would have been 53 this week.
She left this earth far too early, but we are still celebrating her life and the amazing woman she was.
I am so grateful to her and love her so much for making Andrew who he is today.

Thanks Sarah (for the toys and underwear)

2011-09-21T15:13:00.001-05:00

My sweet sister Sarah sent the kids a package in the mail and they were so excited to open it!
Who doesn't love getting a package?

It was filled with lots of fun goodies.

And Sarah made sure to include the traveling underwear.
What? The traveling underwear?

Here is the story:
After Andrew and I were first married, all our gifts were stored in my Mom's basement until our first move to Bellevue. We had several duplicates (8 deep fat fryers) and so I had things sorted out into piles. What got moved and what got taken back to the store.

Our first stop was Dillards to take back one of the duplicate pitchers we received. There was a friendly little old lady who was happy to assist us with our return. Right before she handed us our gift card for store credit, she opened up the box that held the pitcher and slowly pulled out a pair of thong underwear. And cool as a cucumber she asked "Um, did you want your underwear back?"

My jaw fell open as my face turned beat red. I had absolutely no idea how that underwear got there and I was mortified. I knew right away that my sister had something to do with this.

When I got home and told Sarah the story she busted out laughing and said "Oh, that went even better than I though!". She had no idea I was taking back that pitcher. She just thought it would be funny to tuck that underwear away and give me nice surprise when I was unpacking in Bellevue.

I vowed to get her back and the past eight years have been a constant back and forth game of receiving underwear. I'm not sure what happened to that first pair of thong underwear, but along they way there have been apple juice soaked adult diapers (curtsey of Andrew's job), racy underwear, and dirty baby diapers tucked into suitcases and mailed packages.
I'm not sure when we switched to the faded pink granny undies, but they have been a constant for the past couple of years.

It's always fun to conspire and pull off tucking into a suitcase when we are visiting one another and I love the joy I feel when I've mailed off those undies once again and they are out of my hands.
And, it is equally fun to see them turn up again out of nowhere!

The traveling underwear. It keeps like a little more fun!

I love you Sarah, and I'm so glad that as we have gotten older, we can still play silly games!

Week/Weekend Recap.

2011-09-19T21:18:00.002-05:00

Wow. This last week has been a crazy/fun one at the Carlson household.
Bring on the Homework! Emma has had homework almost every night so far. (call me crazy but this is still Kindergarten right??)

Tuesday:
Puppy Love: Bella had her first vet Check and she is a healthy little pup.
Soccer Time: Macy had her first soccer practice. This did not go so well. Apparently she was under the impression that her and her sister were on the same team. They are not and this rude awakening resulted in a complete breakdown on the soccer field.

Wednesday:
Dance Time: The girls both started their first classes at Smitty's Performing Arts. Just like soccer, the girls are in separate classes for the first time. I was biting my nails wondering how this was going to go, but they both did great with it.

Friday:
BIG Day for me!
Went to MOPS (mother's of preschoolers) for the first time. I was a little nervous and feeling like the new kid in town (wait, I am the new kid in town!) and realizing how Emma must have felt her first day of Kindergarten walking into a room full of strangers. But, it was fun and I decided to join MOPS.
Friday Night:
I had girls night out with some of the anesthesia/Dr.'s wives in town. It was my first time joining the group and they were all very sweet gals and I was glad they invited this newbie!

Saturday:
Soccer Time: Emma had her first soccer practice in the freezing cold. She did a great job and seemed to really love it.

Game Time: Andrew and Bob headed to Lincoln for the Husker Game. They had an awesome time tailgating and enjoyed their awesome seats. They were 12 rows up exactly on the 50 yard line!
Fun Time: I dropped the kids of with Grandma Hays and Mom and I headed to Hastings, picked up my dear friend Brooke O. on the way and shopped at The Country Barn. Then Mom took the girls for a sleepover at her place. Reese and I enjoyed a quiet evening with just the two of us. I forgot how nice it is to have just one little one to care for. It seemed too easy!

Sunday:
Got all the kids Fall/Summer clothes switched out. This is always such a daunting task that seems to take far too long!
Fun Time: Mom dropped off the girls and took Reese to Central City to visit Great Grandma Reeves. Went to Starbucks for coffee with Brooke O. Sat out in the glorious sun and had a good chat. Love that girl!
Amy stopped by for a surprise visit on her way to Kearney! I have not seen her in forever and it was so great to see her! Love that girl!
Then Daniel, Molly, and Steve came home from college for the day. It was great to see them too. Love those siblings of ours!
Then we all headed over to Bob and Rita's to celebrate the AMBER (Andrew, Matt, Beth, Emily, Rachael) birthdays. We had a nice time having supper and celebrating with all our family!

Such a busy weekend. Such a good weekend!

High Hopes.

2011-09-15T16:14:00.002-05:00

On our last morning in Omaha, I got the kids all spiffed up and ready for a little photo shoot down by the old train station.
My good portrait lens is in the shop, but I had high hopes of getting a ton of great shots with the tracks and all in the background.

My high hopes lasted exactly 5 minutes. That is when the battery went out of my camera. And did I mention that I lost my battery charger...so no way to charge it.
I almost cried.
But I was happy with a few of the shots I got and now I'm dreaming of the day when my lens is fixed, my battery is charged, and we go back to the old train station.

And for some reason, all the pics I've posted to my blog lately have been coming out a tad fuzzy. I'm not sure how to fix it but it is super frustrating. Especially when I work really hard to take a NON fuzzy pictures.
If anyone in blog land has any ideas how to fix it...PLEASE let me know!

FYI: If you click on the pictures, the pics will come up a lot clearer in a slideshow format.

Jersey Boys.

2011-09-14T20:50:00.000-05:00

Last weekend I headed back to Omaha for a girls weekend with my Mom, Brooke (soon to be sister in law), my aunt Marcia, cousin Mandy, and Deb and Janet (both good family friends).

We had a great time eating at great restaurants, shopping, going to the casino, talking and laughing.

But the highlight of the trip was seeing the Broadway Musical, Jersey Boys.

For anyone who does not know, Jersey Boys is the true story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.
It's amazing! And if you know anything about my family, it won't surprise you at all that we all walked around the Old Market singing all of the Four Seasons songs.

After the show we had drinks on the patio of Vincenzo's and one of the stars of the show happened to walk by. We invited him over to sing with us and take some pictures. It was pretty awesome.

Oh Omaha! How we love you so!

Some of my favorite Four Season Songs

1. Oh What a night.

2. Walk like a man.

3. Big girls don't cry

4. Stay

5. Sherry

6. My eyes adored you

7. Will you still love me tomorrow
8. Grease

9. Fallen Angel

Puppy Love.

2011-09-12T21:59:00.000-05:00

We brought this adorable little Puggle home from Omaha last weekend.
Her name is Bella and we are all in love with her!

September 11, 2011

2011-09-11T21:42:00.002-05:00

Today is the 10th anniversary.

No one will forget what they were doing when they first heard about the horrific terrorists attack on our country that day. Our country will never be the same.

Ten Years Ago:

I was a Junior at UNK. I woke up late that morning and because I was rushing around my apartment trying to make it to class on time, I did not turn on my radio that morning as I usually do.
I hopped in my car and as I coasted down the hill of Lakeview Dr. and drove onto campus I flipped on the radio. All I caught were a few serious words from the morning DJs, but I had no clue what they were talking about. I found a parking spot and raced to Founders Hall for my first class. I was about 5 minutes late, but the campus seemed earily quiet. Too quiet, and a very strange feeling came over me.
I swung open the door to Founders and walked down the hall, noticing again how quiet it was and the only person in site was one lonely person at the far end of the hall staring up at the TV, fully engrossed.

I raced up the stairs to my second floor class and as I walked down the hall there was not one person in site and every classroom had a TV blaring. I could not make out what was on all the TV's, but it struck me as so odd that EVERY single classroom had a TV on.
I rushed into my classroom, slid into my seat, and started listening as my instructor was talking about tragedy. Then I asked what in the world was going on and the class filled me in about a plane hitting one of the World Trade Center towers and everyone started taking guesses about Who/What/Why. A few minutes later we got word that the second tower was hit.
Then it stared to sink it that this was no accident.
Someone had done this on purpose. Someone was attacking us.

We all watched the TV for about 20 more minutes before our instructor dismissed us and reminded us to go home and hug our loved ones....and if we could not hug them, then call them and tell them how much we loved them.
I instantly raced to Andrew's dorm room, hugged him, and then called my Mom. I was worried about my brother who was stationed at Camp David at the time. Word finally came from my brother that he was OK.

I spent the rest of the day in Andrew's dorm room glued to the TV with the rest of the world. I cried off and on as the reality of the situation sunk in and watched in horror as the towers collapsed one after another, the Pentagon was hit, and the 4th flight crashed down.

Finally at 4:30pm I tore myself away from the coverage to head into work at Little King. No one came in to eat sandwiches and the other employees and I kept busy discussing the day's events and watching the cars at the gas station across the street line up around the block to get gas as everyone was afraid this would cause a gas shortage.
I remember going home that night and still wondering if this all was even real. Did this day really happen?
I can't even put into words how horrific that day was for this country and for all the people who lost loved ones in this tragedy.

Still to this day I tear up just thinking about 9/11.
Ten years later it is still so fresh in my mind and I pray that we will never see a day like that again.
So many lessons came out of that day, but what it taught me was this:
Life is too short and you never know what tomorrow will bring.

Be good to others. Love one another. Good Bless.

Omaha Trip: pt. II

2011-09-09T13:48:00.000-05:00

We could not make a trip to Omaha without going to Guaca Maya!

It's just so fun and festive in there.

Andrew and Reese goofing around.

This is my favorite thing there...the fresh Guacamole!! So yummy!

We also went to the Omaha Children's Museum to see the current exhibit:

Dinosaurs

It was really cool and the dinosaurs were pretty life like.

But this little girl did not like it at all. She literally freaked out and started bawling the second we walked into the display. Andrew picked her up to comfort her and it did no good at all. She was so frightened that she was shaking. She said "I know they are not real, but they are still really scary!" So she spent the entire time sitting on this bench.

Emma would not even dress up as a dinosaur for this picture.

Back at the hotel we cranked up the music and had a dance/jumping on the bed party!
We can't jump on beds at home, but this is vacation right?
So we jumped out little hearts out!

Our sweet friends Toni and Sam gave the kids some awesome Jammies. Superman for Reese and Tinkerbell for the girls.
Do they know out\r kids or what?

Oh Omaha...you never disappoint!
We always have such a blast in Omaha!

Omaha Trip: pt. I

2011-09-08T13:50:00.000-05:00

We headed to Omaha for the long Labor Day weekend for a little family trip. We stayed at the Ramada Inn and Coco Keys indoor water resort which was a lot of fun.

I love this pictures, which shows what it's like for our family of five to be crowded in our Rockin van!

After the first full day of swimming, we noticed that Emma's eyes were really red. She is quite the little fish and swims with her eyes open underwater. So, we stopped at Target and picked up some clearance goggles. They all thought they were pretty fun to wear and Emma's eyes improved a lot.

The kids were obsessed with the elevator! They always fought over who got to push the buttons, which drove Andrew and I nuts for four days straight!

Emma just swam and swam.

Reese's favorite part was playing with the water fountains.

Macy spent most of her time on the slides. She got the lifeguard whistle blown at her a few times because she kept going down backwards. (The lifeguards were pretty cranky in the kiddie pool area)

Every so often this big bucket of water would dump down on the whole park. It was a highlight for all the kids.

My favorite part was going down the tube slides. They were pretty thrilling.
This was our first experience at this water park. It was a lot of fun and Reese has been asking to go back since the moment we left!

Flip Flop Fever.

2011-09-04T07:34:00.001-05:00

We LOVE wearing flip flops at our house. It is all we wear. We bust them out the second the weather starts to warm up and keep them on until Jack Frost makes his rounds. At least this is true for the kids and I.

Andrew wears his pretty much year round.

We are really going to be sad when we have to put these away and have to say goodbye to getting out of the house quickly.

5 on Friday.

2011-09-02T09:45:00.001-05:00

1. We have been singing the song "Our State Fair" at our house all week! It's from the 1942 musical "State Fair". (There have been remakes, but 1942 is THE BEST) My Grandma Reeves, Mom, sister, and I have always loved this musical, and it really makes me happy that my kids love the music from it too. We start singing it every year around this time. It has even been worked into Reese's nightly bedtime songs this week.

2. Speaking of the fair....we have had a blast out there. Friday night Andrew & went out alone on a date, Saturday and Sunday I worked 10 hrs each day at the fair, and on Tuesday we took the kids! Lots of fun for all!

3. Summer is winding down and the kids got to check another thing off their Summer Check list. They got to spend the night with Grandma and Grandpa Hays! They love going to their house and they had a wonderful time. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!

4. I'm not really into fundraisers, but Emma's school is selling Eileen's cookie dough and we LOVE Eileen's cookies!!
They come in 3-pound tubs of pre-mixed cookie dough in several flavors for $12.00 a tub. Each tub makes up to 33 large cookies (3 inch).Flavors:
Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin, Peanut Butter, Snickerdoodle, M&M, Sugar, and Monster

Sales go through Monday, September 12th and we will deliver your cookie dough on October 6th
Email me or send me a message if you would like me hook you up.
I'm having a hard time deciding which to get....I love them ALL

5. I don't know about you guys, but this week has seemed super long. We are planning on having some family fun this weekend!

Happy Labor Day Weekend!! BE SAFE!

Stuhr Museuem Part II

2011-08-30T08:34:00.000-05:00

Evan and Reese were the most excited about seeing the trains!

Then we went to visit my aunt Judi who was working in the Mercantile.

There are so many cool things in that store!

My kids love the candy sticks.

Then we had had enough of the kids so we locked them up....

But they got out and locked us up instead!

The kids playhouse is always a big hit.

Time to go...don't leave without Macy!

Stuhr Museum Part I

2011-08-29T09:19:00.001-05:00

We took a few trips out to the Stuhr Museum this summer. Thanks to my aunt Judi who works there, we have a Membership and can go anytime. We love that place. It's a great place for pictures, the kids love it, and they always come home worn out.
It's a win-win-win!
On this trip we went with my cousin Mandy and her sweet boy Evan.
We had a great time and took tons of pics. So many that I had to break them up into two posts!
Enjoy!

Walking out to the old country school house.

The swings and teeter toter are always a hit.

Pumping water from an old well

Wait for me Evan!

Checking out the sofa in one of the houses....pretty comfy.

Of course Reese found the wooden play train right away.

Mandy and Evan

I think someone is getting tired!

Sitting in the town school house.

Time for a snack.

Next up...the trains.

5 on Friday.

2011-08-26T06:57:00.001-05:00

1. The State Fair Starts Today!!! The whole town of Grand Island has been gearing up for this event and there is excitement in the air. I can't wait to get out there to walk around, see the exhibits, look at the animals, take the kids to the Kid Zone, cruise the midway, go to The Beef Pit (don't ask, just go), and check out all the food on a stick....pizza, snickers, Twinkies, salad, Kool-Aid, corn dogs....the list goes on and on. And no, I'm not planning on eating all those things on a stick. OK, so maybe just one of those things. :)

2. This year I am working for the State Fair Education Department all weekend. I'm going to be helping with academic tests, performance competitions, and grading. Plus they hired me to photograph the competitions and awards ceremonies. I'm pretty excited to be a part of the fair in this way!

3. Every day when Emma gets home from school I ask her What was your favorite part of school today? And the teacher in me is hoping she will answer with something academic such as I loved reading new words, or working on math, or writing sentences.
But every day so far her answer has been "Snack time, or the TV show we watched during rest time, or Eating my lunch!"

4. Now that I'm down to just 2 kids, I thought I'd take them out for a walk around the lake in the stroller this morning. It was tough pushing those two all that way. I'm not sure how Andrew did it when he used to go jogging 6 miles up and down the hills of Bellevue with those two in the stroller.
I think I need to get back in shape.
OK, after the State Fair is over and I've had my share of food on a stick.

5. So, what is your Gotta Have it State Fair Food?
Leave me a comment and let me know!

Then there were three.

2011-08-24T07:25:00.000-05:00

The house seems strange with just the babies at home now.

"The Babies" is how we have always referred to Macy and Reese because they were literally babies at the same time. (Seems like a long time ago now)

Now it seems they have outgrown their name, "The Babies", but it still sticks.

We are all getting used to not having Emma around, although we miss her during the day.

Every morning when we drop Emma off, The Babies have to give her a hug and kiss. Then as we walk out the door Reese yells "I WANT EMMA! I WANT EMMA!" over and over.

He kind of likes his big sister. But by the time we pull back into our driveway, we are ready for another day with just three of us.

Flower Child.

2011-08-20T23:32:00.000-05:00

Love this little girl and her obsession with flowers. She will race across any field just to pick her Mommy a flower.
So sweet.

5 on Friday.

2011-08-19T08:58:00.000-05:00

1. Emma has had a great week in Kindergarten. I know she is a little nervous every day, and pretty wiped out when she comes home, but I think it's going to be a great year.

2. I'm getting used to the idea of Emma being gone, but we sure do miss her during the day. The change in routine has made everyone in our house a little emotional. We have to get used to a new normal.

3. Found this photo essay by James Mollison on “Where Children Sleep” while searching blog land. It is pretty powerful.

4. Ok, just had to take a brief break from writing this blog to wipe the spit off my screen. Thank you Reese. He has become a Time Out Frequent Flyer lately.

5. Andrew is on call this weekend, so it will be pretty low key for us. We can't go too far from home in case he gets called in. Good chance to catch up on home projects. Maybe, just maybe I will get pictures hung in the basement!!! (Do you think it's about time? We've only been here 2 months!)

Happy Weekend!!

First Day of Kindergarten.

2011-08-17T13:19:00.001-05:00

Dropped Emma off at Kindergarten this morning.
We had open house last night and on the car ride there she just kept laughing with giddy excitement as we listened to this song, which is a family favorite.
Today she was a little more nervous, but excited just the same.
She was excited to do something new, make new friends, lean new things, and so excited to wear her new outfit and boots that she picked out.

As we all walked in to school these two held hands.
I think it was a comfort thing for both of them.

Then they gave each other a fierce hug and my tears started to roll. (Luckily I wore my sunglasses and hid it well) This could quite possibly be my favorite picture of all time.(above)

Then one more hug between sisters before Emma walked off into the land of Kindergarten.

Good Luck my baby girl! We LOVE you so much and we know you are going to have a wonderful year!

Last day.

2011-08-16T08:21:00.007-05:00

Today is the last day she is all mine.

She starts Kindergarten tomorrow and I'm trying really hard not to think about how emotional it makes me.

I'm trying not to think about how fast times flies,

and how it seems like just yesterday that I held her in my arms for the very first time.

And how I, as a giddy new Mom, looked at her and felt so blessed that I was going to be able to stay at home with her and teach her all that I possibly could.

Five years seemed a long way off but I knew that I had to make the most of the time that I would have her home every single day.

I'm trying not to think about her adorable little baby checks and her long lashes that went on for miles.

How her tiny hand fit so perfectly in mine.

And those adorable soft little ringlets that would form around her forehead when she got hot.

What happened to that little girl that REFUSED to wear anything but a nightgown/dress/princess dress-up every day because "You are only a princess if you are wearing a dress Mom"?

Every year when Fall rolled around I was so thankful that I had 4 more years, then 3, then 2, then 1 more year left with her still here at home with us.

But tomorrow my time is up...It's time to share her with the world.

She is ready.

Today I'm not ready.

Tomorrow I won't be ready.

Maybe by Friday I will start getting used to the idea of it.

I don't know.

But what I do know is that I'm so very proud of her and I know that she will do wonderful in Kindergarten!


3 days old

1 week old

4 months old

9 months old

Bug Catchers.

2011-08-14T12:15:00.000-05:00

My kids are deathly afraid of bugs.
They freak out whenever they see one, which seems to be a new phase around here.

So I decided to do a "Themed Unit" (sorry, it's the teacher in me) on bugs.
We went to the library and checked out their bug kit. It was filled with lots of bug goodies such as books, bug puppets, and videos (yes VHS!) and plastic bugs.
The next morning I had little bug catcher kits ($1 at Target) sitting by their breakfast.

They rushed outside and tried to fill their bug catchers....with no luck. So, while the kids were taking their afternoon nap, I went to work setting out gummy bugs all over the house and on their outside playset.

When they woke up their were delighted to have a bug hunt. The only rules were that they had to use their bug tweezers to pick them up and they could not eat any of them until after the bug hunt was over and we had a chance to talk about what each bug was.

The kids raced around trying to pick up as many bugs as they could. Until they reached the top of their play set.

That is where we discovered that the bugs did not do so well in the 100 degree heat. They had all melted! And it was a big sticky mess!
Learned my lesson...next time do bug hunts in the morning.
Luckily it did not ruin the fun too much. And Andrew came home just in time to help me clean up the mess.

Beach Bumming.

2011-08-13T10:49:00.000-05:00

We had yet to cross "Going to the beach" off our SUMMER CHECK LIST, so a few weeks back, on a HOT, HOT day we headed to Bader Park.
That is an old favorite childhood spot for me. It has camping, playground equipment, and a great beach and swimming hole.
We made sand castles, practiced our swimming skills, buried each other in the sand, make Emma into a mermaid, had a water fight, and ate snacks. We had a great day!

Emma as a mermaid.

5 on Friday.

2011-08-12T07:06:00.000-05:00

1. Right now my little family is supposed to be on a little vacation (extended weekend) in Omaha. We are not.
Our vacation barely got started before it was over. We headed to Omaha on Thursday morning and our first stop was the zoo. We had a wonderful time. We spent about 4 hours at the zoo and the weather was beautiful. Then we headed back home. We have 2 sick girls and a weekend in a hotel with two sick girls is NOT a vacation.

2. I'm trying really hard to not be too depressed about this.

3. On Wednesday we went up to Emma's school to check her class list and find out who her Kindergarten teacher will be. Much to Emma's dismay, she has a male teacher. I told her he would be a wonderful teacher and she would have tons of fun with him. I even suggested that he might be as silly/goofy as her uncles. She was only slightly swayed, but perked up when I told her that her music teacher was the same woman that directed bible school. It's been a few days now and she seems to be coming around to the idea and for the record I really have heard rave reviews about her future teacher!

4. My baby is starting Kindergarten in 5 days. sigh

5. For some reason my camera has stopped working. What do you think the chances are that I can get it fixed before the first day of school?

Please keep my sicklings in your prayers.

Crash.

2011-08-10T09:14:00.000-05:00

Reese's favorite saying right now is "Crash it down!"

Every time you hand him a couple cars, sticks, shoes, rocks, M&M, .....anything he can get his little hands on, he hits the items together as hard as he can and says "Crash it down!", which is then followed by an explosive sound effect.

(Why are little boys so destructive?)

But earlier this week my little boy "Crashed".

He got a fever and spent most of his time crashed out on the couch or snuggling with his Mommy.

But today, right now, as I type this he is downstairs playing and I hear him "crashing down his trains".

Yep, he's back to normal!

600.

2011-08-09T06:00:00.003-05:00

This morning at 6:00 I am posting my 600th post!
In honor of my 600th post, I thought I'd share a few facts involving the number 600:

- 600 is the number of points the Dow Jones fell on Monday-YIKES!

- Facebook now has more than 600 Million users-no surprise there.

-The year 600 was a leap year.

-Over the last decade, there have been more than 600 new species discovered in Madagascar.

-The average American drinks 600 sodas a year-um, this is not good.

Do you all feel a tad bit smarter now? I know I do! :)

In all seriousness, thanks to those of you that have been around for all 600 posts.
And thanks to those of you that just stumbled upon my blog and have stuck around!
I feel so blessed and honored that you keep coming back...even when you get bored of seeing these three crazy faces on a daily basis!

Camp Out.

2011-08-07T22:04:00.001-05:00

My mom really wanted to take the kids camping.
So this weekend we set up camp in her back yard. They had the tent, fire, hot dogs and smores. Everything you need for a great camping experience. They all slept under the stars the whole night and the kids loved every second of it.
I snapped these pictures when Andrew and I dropped the kids off:

Thanks Mom for taking the kids camping and for making great memories!

Congratulations.

2011-08-05T08:20:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to my brother Josh who is now engaged to Brooke!!!

We have really enjoyed Brooke and are excited to have her join our family when they get married next summer!!

I'm so happy for my brother. He truly is one of the most generous and kind hearted people I know. He loves his family and my kids so much. We just wish so much that he lived closer...but that is the life of a military man.

What a world.

2011-08-02T13:45:00.000-05:00

"We must stop the addiction of judging others."

What if...just what if we took all the energy we spent talking bad about others and judging others and used it instead to do kind things for those around us, or to do more productive works for God??

Oh what a world it would be!

Reeves Farm Award.

2011-08-02T10:57:00.002-05:00

This weekend the Reeves Family Farm was recognized for having our farm in the same family for over 100 years.
It was a very special day for my Grandma Reeves! I know that if my Grandfather was still alive he would have been very proud.

Diane, Marcia, Mike, Grandma Reeves

Big Summer Fun Post.

2011-07-30T17:18:00.000-05:00

We are all keeping very busy this summer. Here are some activities that the Carlson Crew have enjoyed so far:

Bible School:

We started out the summer with the girls attending Bible School for a week. It was a cooking theme this year and the girls loved it. We are still jamming out daily to the CD of songs they learned in our own kitchen. These are a few shots I got at their program.

Kindercamp:

The girls went to Kindercamp at a local park every morning for two weeks.

They made these rockin shirts and everyone wore them to a field trip to Kids Kingdom on the last day.

Stolley Park Train:
We made our little boys dream come true and went to Stolley park to ride the little train. He thought we were the best parents in the world for letting him ride on a train!

Then we played at Kids Kingdom.

That place is pretty sweet for kids!

Carnival:

A local church puts on an amazing dinner/carnival/fireworks display every year. We went for the first time this year and had a blast. It is super cheap to get in and one fee gets you into everything! They have dinner, ice cream, petting zoo, tons of bounce houses, train rides, pony rides, sumo wrestling, laser tag, giant slides, rock climbing, live entertainment, and of course fireworks. It even included all the free popcorn and snow cones that your little heart could desire! It's a kids dream!

The kids loved the petting zoo. Especially the cats, which we will never have because Andrew is very allergic to cats.

The slides were also a big hit.

My Life

Happy Birthday Macy!!!

Snowy Weekend.

It's just how we roll.

21 Weeks.

5 on Friday.

Love.

For all F*R*I*E*N*D*S lovers.

Tomorrow.

Christmas Pageant.

Our Christmas 2011.

A New Year.

Merry Christmas!

4 more days.

5 on Friday.

Christmas activities.

Be Nice.

5 on Friday.

31 days of Christmas Challenge.

SURPRISE!!!

Thanksgiving 2011.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Pumpkin Patch.

5 on Friday.

First Dusting.

While she's away..

When life hurts.

Having a boy...

5 on Friday.

Soccer.

Halloween 2011

Jessie's family pictures.

Carving 'em up.

Gone with God.

5 on Friday.

Down and out.

Summer projects.

5 on Friday.

Dance, Dance, Dance.

32.

Macy's First Haircut.

It begs the question...

Happy Birthday Mom.

5 on Friday.

Kati's Family Pictures.

UNK Homecoming

An Afternoon at the State Fair

Happy Birthday.

Thanks Sarah (for the toys and underwear)

Week/Weekend Recap.

High Hopes.

Jersey Boys.

Puppy Love.

September 11, 2011

Omaha Trip: pt. II

Omaha Trip: pt. I

Flip Flop Fever.

5 on Friday.

Stuhr Museuem Part II

Stuhr Museum Part I

5 on Friday.

Then there were three.

Flower Child.

5 on Friday.

First Day of Kindergarten.

Last day.

Bug Catchers.

Beach Bumming.

5 on Friday.

Crash.

600.

Camp Out.

Congratulations.

What a world.

Reeves Farm Award.

Big Summer Fun Post.

For all FRIENDS lovers.