Christmas 2010

I am trying really hard to get this blog updated before Andrew gets here.  I have 7 days.  I can’t believe it.   I’m so ready but I’m not ready all at the same time!  Yahoo!

Christmas Eve Snow

Riley, Abby, Tyson, Brian, Terry and Marilyn all had a snowball fight on Christmas Eve!  There was no way I was going to be involved in making snowballs and building forts so I decided to take pictures.  I think I ended up with almost 200 pictures.  It was pretty difficult to narrow down but here are some fun pictures from the day!

Tyson with the dump trucks in the snow

Trying to make a snow angel but the snow was too hard

Playing with Dad and learning how to throw a snowball!

Brian’s fort

Brian insisted on wearing this mask.  I thought for sure it would freak Tyson out.  It didn’t but I still wanted him to take it off so I could take pictures of his face! : )

 

Tyson shoveling some snow

 

And the fight begins…if you look closely you can see snowballs in the air!  It was pretty fun watching these guys.  You’ll also notice that Tyson is almost in every picture in the middle.  I suppose he wasn’t worried about getting hit.  He was busy playing : )

 

After the snow merriment, Marilyn suggested making cookies for Santa.  She had already made the dough and brought it! Thanks Marilyn for being so thoughtful and letting us in on the fun!

Me and Ty with the cookie decorated!

Christmas Day

Here are some pictures from opening presents!

Admiring the stocking

Posing with dad

Trying on his stocking.  He kept calling it a sock and wanted to try it on. 

Since I seem to be non-existent in these photos I’ll put this one up.  I actually ended up taking this present back (because it didn’t work) and got a Belgian Waffle maker instead.  I was pretty bummed it didn’t work.  I HATE ironing Brian’s work shirts so I was pretty stoked about it.  Oh well, it’s the thought that counts ;)

Enjoying rolling around with the wrapping paper…sometimes you wonder why you get your kids gifts when really all they need is some wrapping paper to play with :)

Love this picture.  After he opened the Thomas Mega Blocks he was glued to it even if he was opening another present.

In the evening we went home to open some presents from my parents.  I think the most memorable moment for us on Christmas was Tyson’s reaction to these air bubble packets that came in the Amazon boxes.  He would jump up and land on them and they would POP really loud.  He thought it was hilarious and so we all did as well.  He figured this out Christmas morning but the best pictures are from that evening.  Look at that tongue and the air he got!

Showing off his new computer

 

Tyson and Dad posing by the tree!

It was a fantastic Christmas.  We had so much fun with Brian’s family.  It was also really neat to see how much Tyson has grown from last year.  He ripped open the presents like a pro and loved every single thing he got!  The joy on his face from that day just makes it all the more special.  I’m bummed however, that I didn’t get a picture of our family together, again.  What is with me and Christmas and not getting a family picture?!  I will need to remind myself 50 times this coming Christmas : ) 

December Happenings…

Sorry it’s been a while.  I have to lay down a lot more because I keep getting cramping and contractions.  However, everything seems to be fine.  I’ve just got to take it a little easy at times.  Well, let’s just jump right into the festivities because let’s be honest we have about a million things that go on in December…

Tyson and I got to decorate the Christmas tree. This was his first year really helping.  I mainly put the ornaments on and where I wanted them to go.  I soon learned seconds later that Tyson was going to put the ornaments where jnever he wanted them to go.  I had to let my slightly neurotic tree decorating issues go and let him do his thing.  He had a lot of fun.  Pretty sure he thought he was a big boy for workin so hard : )

showing off the ornament

 

Here we are decorating our gingerbread house.  It was fun.  Tyson loved it.  He surprisingly didn’t eat the candy until I told him he could.  He had fun sticking random pieces everywhere.  We mainly let him do the decorating.  We laughed a lot afterword while looking at the “masterpiece”.  The only irritating thing was that Tyson felt the need to handle and touch every piece of candy melting them and making them sticky.  Oh well, when do you not make a mess doing gingerbread houses?

 

He wasn’t into smiling very much that night.  I think he was too busy concentrating on decorating. : )

We heard that we could get a picture with a really cute Santa at the Riverwoods.  Turned out to be a great evening.  Tyson was able to color Santa a picture and put it in his mailbox, ride in a horse drawn carriage to see lights and even sit on Santa’s lap.  We should have known better and let him warm up to Santa first.  There wasn’t a line at all so I don’t know why we didn’t think about it.  The first few shots weren’t successful.  He was pretty distraught.  So we took him off his lap and he started to talk Santa’s ear off.  So then we put him back on his lap.  He still wasn’t quite sure about it all but he figured he was okay.

First attempt

 

Talking to Santa

Second attempt.

 

One Monday evening we had been planning to go to Temple Square to see the lights.  Brian and I hadn’t been since before we got married so I was pretty excited.  We knew Ty would love it too.  Well, that evening we decided we better not go.  It was so stinkin’ cold and I had been having some contractions and cramping.  Brian told me I shouldn’t be walking around so we ended up going to Spanish Fork to drive through their Festival of Lights.  It ended up being a fantastic evening.  Tyson loved every second.  He pointed out everything he could see.  His favorite was the frog.  He kept telling us that the frog jumped into the water.  He also like the train of course and he called the Candy Cane Factory a washing machine.  I didn’t get any pictures of this because you drive through in your car but I wanted to share and remember it.  We ended up having to go through the lights twice that night.  He wasn’t content with just seeing it all once : )

On December 22nd Brian and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary!  We didn’t get to really celebrate until the 23rd and even then we didn’t do much but that’s okay.  With Brian’s busy studying schedule and me being as pregnant as I am, I’m not sure either of us were up to much anyways.  Brian did bring me home some beautiful flowers and got me the last season of 24.  I got him a sander thingy.  : )  We went out for Mexican food (which made me badly miss the Mexican food from Texas) and just chatted.  I am so grateful that I married Brian 5 years ago.  I’ve always known how determined and wonderful he is but the last year has been amazing.  He has shown me what a hard worker and dedicated man he is to his family, friends, work, etc.  I’ve always been proud of him but I’m more proud of him today than I have ever been.  He means the world to me and Tyson.  I couldn’t have asked for a better eternal companion.  Love ya babe!

my surprise flowers!

 

 

Random picture but I just would like to show how obsessed my son is with trains!  How cute is this picture?!  He lined up the laundry basket to make “freight cars” behind his riding train, laid out his blankets to make “train tracks”, and filled up the basket with boxes to make “cargo”!  He is so fun right now!!!  His imagination is just soaring and it is awesome to see and be a part of!

Yeah, we have tons of fun!

 

I’ll make another post soon about Christmas Eve and Christmas!

Happy Halloween!

Okay, okay so I’m a little late in posting about the latest events and the holiday.  I’ll more than make up for it now.

Pumpkin Patch, Oct 29

We went to a pumpkin patch with our friends Joe, Heather and their boy Dallin.  I hadn’t charged my camera before we left so Heather sent me some pictures.  They are super cute.  I love going to the pumpkin patch.  It is such a Fall thing to do.  Brian helped Tyson find a really, really small pumpkin.  Tyson called it “baby pumpkin” and carried it everywhere for a few days : ) We still haven’t done anything with our pumpkins that we bought.  We were going to carve them on Halloween evening but we have a good reason why that didn’t happen. I’ll explain later.  So anyway, if you have any ideas of what to do with pumpkins, let me know. 

Ward Activity, Oct 30

So on Saturday night we went to our ward activity.  The kids dressed up and went trick or treating to the doors in the church.  I must say I enjoyed this because no one had to be outside freezing.  Plus when you all have coats on, no one can see your costume : )  Here are some pictures of Ty having fun.

 

Not the most successful pictures : )  I’d tell him to say cheese and he’d show me his bucket or candy.  I told him to not move so he sat down and he was totally into attacking that black cat. Nonetheless he enjoyed getting candy and having everyone tell him how cute he was.  What a cute little Nemo he was!

Unfortunately that night didn’t quite turn out how I had been hoping.  For the past 4 days before Oct 30th I had started to have cramping.  Over the next few days it really only got worse and doing the littlest stuff would set it off.  I was laying down a lot and drinking as much water as I could because that’s what the nurse told me to do.  Finally Saturday night at the ward activity I started to get it again but bad.  All we had done was walk around the building once!  So in tears I asked Brian to take me to the hospital on the way to the car.  I think normally I wouldn’t have been so worried but earlier that week one of my friends who was carrying twin boys lost both of her babies.  She was only due 1 week behind me.  I really just started to worry that maybe something else was going on.  Anyway, we were at the hospital for about 3 hours for them to tell me that I was not in labor and that I was just dehydrated.  I was so grateful that everything was okay.  However, slightly confused because I had been chugging water like it had gone out of style.  This whole pregnancy I have felt dehydrated and always thirsty.  It’s like I just can’t quench my thirst.  The nurses told me that is one of the effects of gestational diabetes.  I don’t have my test for that for another 2 weeks so I won’t know until then.  I’ll let you know.  Anyway I was also told to take it easy.  Which most of us know isn’t the easiest to do with a toddler at home.  However, I rest as much as I can and have quit exercising.  Exercising and doing lots of bending over and cleaning really sets off the cramps.  So I still get cramps even to this day but I’m drinking water like crazy and laying down a lot.  We are very grateful that this little baby is still inside and growing.

Oct 31

I had been planning on taking more pictures of Tyson in his Halloween costume the night before but of course that didn’t happen.  So I dressed him up after church and let him run around.  I think I got some cute pictures of him.  He’s so cute.  Happy Halloween 2010!

 

I also need to post about Brian’s new job!  He started Nov 1!  Until I make this blog private I can’t really say where he’s at but just know that he is really enjoying it so far.  The whole process of getting this job was inspired.  He wasn’t really even looking for another job and this basically just fell into his lap.  We feel so blessed!!!!  We know this is where the Lord has intended us to be.  It’s a wonderful opportunity and we are so grateful for everyone that helped us along the way. The only thing I’m not enjoying about this new job is that I have to iron his work clothes. Any suggestions on how to avoid that in dress shirts and pants would be greatly appreciated : ) 

Private

I’ve decided to make this blog private.  I’ve heard too many things lately of people taking pictures and information off of blogs.  For my families safety I’ve just got to do it.  I’ve always wanted to avoid it because I HATE when I have to sign in to see private blogs and because people just don’t check them very often because you can’t tell when they have been updated.  Regardless of the inconveniences I feel it is a necessary move.

email us at     bcarlsen5 @ hotmail . com

Make sure you tell me who you are and I’ll send you an invite.  You’ve got a couple of days to do this.  Love you all and thanks for reading.  I guess it’s just time to make sure only people I know are reading it too : )