Pre-Christmas Fun

Ok - only mid-January and I'm ALMOST done catching up with the holidays.  Please forgive me!

But I don't want to miss documenting this in our family blog.  Because while the holidays FLEW by - we did a lot and I don't want to forget all of it!

After Thanksgiving fun, December came and our neighborhood does a fun little "sleigh" ride around our neighborhood with horses and a few hay filled "sleighs" that we ride on.  It's always a great time!  This year however when we visited Santa - Maddie wanted NOTHING to do with this Santa.  Very very different from last year when Charlie wanted nothing to do with Santa and Maddie was all about it!

After Santa, some cookies and hot chocolate, we headed out on the first ride - you can see everyone cooperated for the picture, but it was very fun getting to see all the neighborhood lights and get pulled by the horses! (PS that cute little boy in the pic is our neighbor's son, Cal.  She was taking the picture of us and I was making sure he didn't scoot off!)

We also did a lot of riding our bike inside and walking around in our underwear (thankfully the kids, not Jimmy and I) in December...

And of COURSE - what would December be without the annual Carter Classic Christmas party.  Jimmy moved it this year from Friday to Saturday (per my begging), but unfortunately, that meant it was in competition with lots more holiday parties during the season, so attendance was way down.  Jimmy was a little bummed - but I thought it was still a fabulous time and to all those who were able to make it out - we had a blast and thanks for joining us in this tradition!!

Charlie - as you can see in the picture below - was just having a grand old time.  HA.

And of course, what would Christmas season be without a fun little kids musical at church?  Jimmy was skeptical if Charlie would actually participate, but when he was singing the songs at home before we even signed him up to perform (after learning them at Sunday School)...I knew he would be fine.  Even though Charlie seems outgoing, events like this make him so nervous (poor guy!).  So he was super shy, didn't do any of the moves, but did stand there and sing!! We were proud!

After his big debut at church - his preschool had a holiday "show" for parents in addition to their holiday party and book exchange.  Charlie was front and center....but again didn't do any motions ---- but did rock the singing!!!  These kids are just so stinking cute!

And of course I took a video in typical mom fashion..

This year was harder because mom was stretched thin between the two classrooms.  After the show, I left Charlie and went to see what Maddie was up to.  They were getting ready for their book exchange and then to EAT!

And who's not excited about a full plate of food!!?

Cookie double fisting - that's my girl!

Then she and I headed back to Charlie's room for their snack and book exchange!  They had a great time celebrating with their school friends!

Then as December started to wind down - I was sad because there were still a few things that we never got around to doing.  Because let's get real....December is CRAZY.  And work got crazy and that meant a tired mama...so less energy to plan and execute all these fun holiday things.  

But at the end of December, we did cram a couple last minute things in and I quickly realized - my kids would care less about all the "activities" I feel like we need to do and more just want to spend quality time with us!!

Our final Christmas fun things?  We headed to Deanna Rose to see the awesome light show.  I almost forgot that on the way there we stopped at QuikTrip to get some fun snacks and drinks and then realized that neither of us had our wallets or ANY money, so we just used some change to get each of the kids a sucker!!  But again - they were happy with that!  And as always, the light show was so fun!

While we had seen Santa early December at our neighborhood sleigh ride - I didn't "count" that and really wanted to make our annual trip to Bass Pro shop to get a picture there.  So I got the crew out on Christmas Even morning and went in our PJs to bass pro to see what the wait for Santa looked like.  To my surprise, the wait was only 45 minutes - so we headed home, changed their clothes and headed back to get a picture with St. Nick!!

While no one was smiling....I called it a success!

And while this December/holiday season was just craziness from illness, to busy time at work to some sleepless nights - we did have a good time being with each other and our families and friends.  And remembering the reason for the whole season, Jesus being born!!!

And one last time - sweet Maddie cakes and her favorite glasses!

Thanksgiving fun

Oh Thanksgiving.  Such a fabulous holiday!!!

Food, family and time off work spent together.  Really what more can you ask for?

We kicked of our Thanksgiving 2015 celebrations on Wednesday night at Jimmy's parents house.  Sue always hosts a beautiful dinner and we always just have so much fun kicking off our holiday celebrations.

The kids table - Libbie moved up to the "big kids" table!!

Jimmy got stuck sitting next to Maddie - but he was pretty stoked about it!

She always has such a beautiful table setting. I need to do more of this when we host dinners!!!  I love the results so much...it's just so much work!

Selfies with cousins AND eating the centerpieces is always the best way to spend the night.

Oh...and eating pumpkin pie on Pop's lap.  Look at him shovel that in!

Oh Jim.

And then it was time for Grana jammies.  Seriously, how fun is Sue?  All ten grandkids she makes matching pants (and this year shirts) for the girls and then matching pants for the boys.  All the kids ALWAYS look forward to them and so do we!! This year was funny because one of the (big) boys asked Sue why she made the girls pants that had cardinals on them - especially when the Royals had just won the World Series!!  She said she starts working on them in JULY!!!  I love it!

I just love this picture of Grana and all her grandbabies.  How sweet!

Then it was time for a good old fashioned Thanksgiving dance party!!!  I love watching Maddie and Charlie in this pic trying to dance and having so much fun doing it.  

This is what these holidays are for and exactly why we are so lucky to live in the same town as ALL the Carter cousins.  It's amazing and just so fun (for all of us!)

Seriously - Kenlie - love those moves!

The next morning, Jimmy was up super early to get the turkey cooking - as we were hosting Thanksgiving for my mom's side of the family.  I'm not a fan of cooking turkey, so luckily Jimmy is into it and does a great job.  We cooked and cooked and had lots of food (as always!). 

I didn't have any fun table set up like my MIL, but maybe next year, right??!!

My aunt came in town from Colorado, which was so fun to see her (as usual) as well as her oldest son and his fiance - so we had a full house!!!

And we already had put our Christmas tree up so we got some pictures in front of it!

Oh Jimmy....

And before sweet Maddie went down for a nap, I caught her and my granddad having a sweet moment!

So there you have it - the kick off of our holiday 2015 season!!!  Thanksgiving is always so fun and we have so much to be thankful for - that it's always a good time of the year to look back at all the ups and downs that happened throughout the year and be thankful for all of them.

Very thankful for our families and that we get to spend these holidays with them!

Baking cookies with Papa and a diagnosis

My mom was gone and my dad sent me a text at work asking if we wanted to come over and bake cookies with him.  Haha.  I literally laughed out loud because I'm pretty sure my dad hasn't ever baked cookies in his life.  But he wanted to and wanted to do it with Charlie and Maddie, so off we went!

Now Jimmy on the other hand, he is the cookie baker in our house, so I stepped back and let him take over.  Let's just say besides buying the ingredients, but dad was happy to left Jimmy take over!!  

But the kids had fun, Papa had fun and the cookies were just ok.

While these are not the best pictures (at all), as I just snapped them with the my phone, these pictures and this time are a little more special all of a sudden.

In addition to a generally busy fall like most people had, our family got rocked with the news that my dad had aggressive prostrate cancer in August.  My dad just retired from teaching for 30+ years at the same school for 20 in May and was going to all his doctor's appointments before his insurance stopped and he got on my mom's...as his full retirement was about to take effect.  Prostrate cancer runs in my dad's family.  His dad had it, all his uncles have had it, so he has been diligent about each year getting his PSA (prostrate specific antigen) screening to monitor himself.  Well thankfully he always did because this year, his levels were elevated a lot.  That led to a biopsy to get the official diagnosis.  Of course he and my mom were acting all nonchalant to my sister and I about this test, but when the results came in and we found out it was aggressive...then was the scary part.  The tests that followed were CAT scans and scans to see if the cancer had spread anywhere else.

After testing and waiting, the results were the best they could be.  The cancer was aggressive, but contained to the prostate.  Praise the Lord.  While it wasn't an "easy" fix, it was something that the doctors all felt like they could remove and rid him of cancer all together if effective.  Or he could do treatments instead of surgery.  I mentioned that his dad (my grandpa) had prostate cancer as well - he beat that and then ended up losing his battle at a ripe old age to other cancers taking over.  My dad decided to bite the bullet and get surgery even with some potential long term side effects.

So on October 13, my dad went into surgery to have his prostate removed.  When I went to up to the hospital before he went into surgery, he was in a great mood and ready to get it done (not surprisingly because he has a great attitude overall).  The surgery went great and even better, were the results after they tested him to see if they got all the cancer.  All gone.  Cancer free just like that.  His surgeon was amazing (did the surgery all robotic which amazes me).  While it's been a hard road during recovery (and he is still hanging in there), as hard as it was to keep a good attitude, he did his best and we were all there along with him.  It was very hard for him to not to be able to pick up his grandkids and not let Charlie and Maddie jump all over him, but he kept his head up.

And it's crazy that just under 3 months have passed and he seems like his normal self again.  From what was a severe and scary diagnosis to cancer free in just a short time shows you just how amazing modern medicine is.  We are so thankful for my dad's diligence in continuing to get his levels checked and fast action by him and his medical team to test him and move forward with next steps.

Did you know that "prostate cancer is the most common nonskin cancer in men, and it's the second leading cause of cancer-related death in men after lung cancer.  Early detection may be an important tool in getting appropriate and timely treatment," (according to the Mayo Clinic).  So while my dad was one of the many prostate cancer diagnosis's that happen every year in men - there are so many dads, husbands, brothers, sons that aren't as lucky as he was to have caught an aggressive cancer and get it out and become cancer free.  So encourage your husbands, dads, grandpas, etc. to keep up with their annual tests - you never know.  My dad has also had skin cancer several times and that has always been caught early enough to be treated or removed (even if the treatment was no fun at all) - so please, remain diligent.

I literally cannot imagine our lives without my dad, my kids Papa in it.  He is just such a positive and wonderful person that is so helpful and fun and just a blessing to be around.  I love talking to him, his laugh, his stories, his faith and devotion to his family (including his mom!).  I'm just so thankful the way his prostate cancer story ended for now.  Not a day goes by that I don't thank God for that.  And not a day goes by that Charlie doesn't say "pray for Papa and that the ow-y on his tummy feels better".  Yep Charlie, we are all so thankful for that!

Speaking of, I also need to get back into the dermatologist for my own annual skin check up.

And in case you were wondering if Maddie is my child - here is a fun picture of me that I found at my parent's house that night that is me about Maddie's age.  #twins or maybe just #twinhair

Our Pot Roast at 18 months old

So while I'm overseas working AND playing blog catch up with the fourth quarter of 2015....I am going to post one thing on time.

Our sweet Madeline 18 months old today.  A whole year and a half.  And I'm COMPLETELY unsure how in the heck that happened so fast.  I literally cannot believe that 2015 is over and we are into 2016 and all the fun that is has to bring. I'm in shock that Maddie will turn TWO in just a short six months.  They aren't lying when they say time goes fast with kids.

I will say - this girl is just the cutest thing we've ever laid eyes on.  She is very VERY different than her brother at this age.  Some good and some bad, of course.

Height: 33 inches - about 1/2 shorter than Charlie at 21 months
Weight: 26lbs 

Clothing Size: all 2T

Shoe Size: Size 8 (yes, you read that right....)

Number of Teeth: No molars - but I think you have everything else (got canines recently)

Stats summary...you are a big girl - and so sweet.  Hence the horrible nick name that you have been deemed somehow - pot roast.  I promise that will fade.  Your horrible dad says if we have another baby girl we'll nickname her pork chop.  Oh good Lord, your dad knows nothing about girls.

At your 15 month check up (18 month is next week when mama is back in town), the doctor warned me.  She told me you look like a 2 year old in size, but don't forget that she's only 15 months.  She mainly warned me because she said other people might see Maddie and wonder why you're not talking, etc. doing other 2 year old things...but obviously you're a ways away from being 2.  However, what's funny is Jimmy told me that he even has a hard time with it because you are so mobile, confident, independent and easily able to communicate with us (without full out talking yet), that it's hard for him to not get frustrated with you sometimes.  So it applies to us all!!

However, here's the thing that I just cannot get over with about you.  How freaking sweet you are.

Seriously.  Charlie was sweet but you take it up to a whole new level.

Like even in the mornings, if we have to wake you up, you are a little unhappy but then you snap out of it and while you're getting you're diaper changed, you make sure to look at us and say "hi...hi!".  And you'll do the "hi" thing just randomly.  We'll all be sitting around and it's like you just want to make sure that we know you're there so you'll waltz right up to us and grab our necks or shoulders or face and say "hi" and smile at us.  Then most times that will end with a hug.  Melt.my.heart.

You're obsessed with your big brother.  Which is great.  But also sometimes, annoys him a bit.  He loves playing with his cars.  So much.  And you love to be helpful.  So when his cars are laying on the ground (while he is playing with them) you sometimes will just go pick them up and hand them back to him.  Which you think is nice, but he gets annoyed with because he wants them where they were.  You don't quite understand that yet, but you'll get there.

Speaking of things you do understand.  You tell us right away when you're hungry and thirsty and you'll be the first one to point out if you need your diaper changed.  And best yet, if we are sitting at home in the family room, you will go over and grab a diaper, the box of wipes and bring them to us, plop down and walah.  Don't get me wrong, it's not that easy EVERY diaper change (but your dad and I wish it was!), but there are moments where I'm like - oh this girls gets it and I'm already strategizing for you to be potty trained by two (crossing my fingers....because guess what you do love the potty itself and demand to sit on it every night before your bath and one time actually peed in it...so you're light years ahead of where Charlie was!).

Although sweet and understanding, girlfriend, you have an attitude and have for awhile.  Has to be a girl thing because I don't remember this with your brother.  Like hardly at all.  When you don't get something you want - it's all out tantrum mode.  Like throw yourself on the floor crying for awhile.  The good thing is about being child #2, tantrums phase us far less than they did with Charlie, so I would just pick you up and put you on the carpet and let you do your thing and then you'd finish and be ok.  So that attitude from us has somehow seemed to have you ease off a bit...less throwing yourself on the floor and more screaming and pulling now :)

You love to play, love to read books and sing.  You love jumping in the bounce house with Charlie and when he drives you around in your new car that you all got from Christmas.  You got lots of baby stuff for Christmas (like for your baby dolls) - which you haven't taken a liking to yet, but eventually right?  Might have to learn first that the baby doll crib is actually not for you and did in fact break when you tried to lay in it.

You LOVE Casey, aunt Lulu's fiance.  It's crazy love - you won't leave him alone.  And you love Papa.  You talk about him a lot and get very excited when you see him.  You love all your grandparents and now that you're a bit bigger, you're really starting to enjoy playing with your cousins.  Kenlie always wants you to play and at Christmas, even Will was brushing your hair in the "barbershop" they all had set up.

So there you go sweet Maddie C.  18 months of your life and I literally cannot imagine our lives without you and your adorable smile and voice every single day.  I love having a little girl and I love even more seeing the relationship between you and your dad strengthen (that's an important one) and you and brother (another important one).

I cannot wait to see how the next six months are and how much you will change and grow in just that short time.  Love you to the moon and back sweet girl!

Love,
Mom and Dad

Trying out pig tails!!!!

Messy face, pig tails and big bro

Tude!

Loves eating and stealing food!

Yep - stealing Grana's centerpiece at Thanksgiving!

Cruising with bro

Looking so big at our first attempt at a pony

You want me to wear this dress???

Pretty much their life - constant wrestling!