Busy, Busy, Busy....

Okay, So I didn't mean to let two months go by without blogging, but I really don't even know where the time has gone? I can't believe it's almost Christmas!! I am so excited! Carson is loving everything about this holiday so far. He talks about "Santa Caws" and "snowman" and "the tree of lights" all day long! He asks to put the Christmas lights on in the house first thing in the morning... I'm pretty sure our next door neighbors are related to the Griswold's because they go to town with decorations. As soon as it gets dark, Carson is begging to go outside and see "pretty lights"... It's so much fun. Last year he was just a blob for Christmas, and now he is really into it!! Best part of the holiday, NO WORKING FOR LINDSAY!! Yeah! I'm done with teaching until March!! YEHAH!!! I'm so thrilled. I'm taking a leave of absence while Rod finishes up his last semester of grad school in Florida. We're leaving right after the New Year. I'm so happy... Now I can be a full time mommy again! I'll post some Halloween pics a little later... I just had to post something so you all know I'm still here!

Loving Prescott

Last weekend we went to a wedding up in Prescott for Rod's cousin Tasha. The place where she had the reception was so beautiful. Between the sunset, mountains, lake, and crisp air, and log cabin, it was the perfect setting for an awesome reception. We figured why not try to get some family pictures in.... yeah right. Carson would not, could not, cooperate if his life depended on it!! There was a million little kids running around and all he wanted was "down, runnin"!! We couldn't keep up with him. He just thinks he is a big kid now and just wants to play with all of them!! As you can see below he was being impossible!!

Finally we have him still, but of course he won't smile!! So much for a Christmas Card picture!! I guess we'll have to make another attempt for that some other time!!

Ahh... to be 13 again....

Honestly, you couldn't pay me enough to go back to Junior High and be a seventh grader. It's bad enough I have to teach them, but holy cow, I could never go back!! I am just astonished at how awkward it is to be 12/13 years old!! I come home with funny stories every day, but this one definitely makes me giggle! The other day I get to school and as my first hour comes in I was blown away by one of my students. I'm going to just call her "Jane", I don't think it would be right to use her real name... Let me just begin by saying that "Jane" is a bit strange... she is just one of those socially awkward, alright... I'll say it, she is a freaking weird child!! As I'm greeting my students and say good morning to her, she looks up at me. She had shaved her eyebrows off and drew them in with a black sharpie marker. And it wasn't just a small line, she drew a THICK line from one corner of her eye to the other!! NO EXAGGERATION!! She looked like a deformed raccoon!! I had all I could do not to laugh... well, my laughter was stifled for only a few seconds, because then the P.E. teacher came in and just lost it!! "Jane" said she did it because it looked "cool"!!! Yep, she liked it!! I laughed so hard I had tears flowing and I think I may have even wet my pants a little!! My students were roaring along with me... yeah I know, way to set a good example!! Well, the P.E. teacher took her into the bathroom and scrubbed her "brows" off, and she returned to my class with no brows!! I proceeded to lecture then on the importance "less is more"... and I told my girls, if they need advice with makeup, please come talk to me! Oh I just about died of laughter that day!!

Gotta love the fall!

Carson loves to "sit by self". This is his new obsession... I'm not kidding! We walk by a bench, and if he sees it, he has to sit in it! It's turning into a slight problem because if we don't let him sit, he throws a mini tantrum... (I finally gave in this time, and look how excited he is! I'm such a bad parent... I need to work on not giving in!)

This past week I had October Break!! YEAH!! Which means no teaching for exactly 10 days... (yes, I'm including the weekends) So my mom, Carson and I took a little trip back to my hometown of Branford, Connecticut, to visit my grandparents and let Carson spend sometime with his great grandparents! It was SO COLD THERE!! The high was in the 50's during the day and it got down to the high 30's at night!! It was a welcome change from Arizona's heat! It truly felt like the fall!! I really miss having four seasons. Anyway, we stayed with my grandparents for the week. My Papa is almost 90 and my Nanie is almost 89! YES, that is OLD! They have been married for 66 years!! HOW AMAZING IS THAT?!? Carson was the light of their lives! He was such a good boy the whole time! He and great-grand-papa instantly bonded! He loved Papa. It melted my heart! It was so cute to watch my grandfather interact with him. For being almost 90 he was picking Carson up and running (well, walking briskly) with him. My Nanie on the other hand has Alzheimers Disease and forgot that Carson was in fact my child. She really thought he was my little brother and belonged to my mom... it was sad. She kept asking, "Now how is he related to me?" Nevertheless, she just adored him... We went to this place that I used to love going to when I was growing up called Bishop's Orchard's. They had a lovely pumpkin patch and a hay maze. CARSON WAS IN HEAVEN!! He loved the pumpkins and the whole time we were there he just ran, ran, ran!!

Every pumpkin he would get near he tried to pick it up! It was so adorable, because he was literally grunting and straining to lift them!!

Carson loves trucks and tractors! He again had to "sit by self tracker"... he just said it over and over again. We spent at least 20 mins on the darn thing! =-)

Look at these beautiful mums... I love these flowers in the fall!

On the hunt for more pumpkins to pick up!

Carson in a sea of pumpkin!

Carson and mommy! I just love my little boy!!

At the airport coming home! We had a 3 hour layover in Baltimore.... I could've died!! We were in Maryland for so long! Carson was getting so silly at the restaurant. He wanted to feed himself, and I couldn't break him away from his fork!


Look at this precious little man! He konked out just before we got on the plane. I love watching my baby sleep, he just looks so sweet and innocent! We really had a fun trip.

My big boy...

Our last frolic at the beach, "My little surfer"

So Carson is already 15 months old! Not too sure how it happened... He is getting so big and I just love him so much. I really didn't think I could love this kid as much as I do, but I do! He has such a little personality! He says EVERYTHING!! He makes little sentences and strings words and phrases together. And not only does he make sense, but he completely understands what he is saying. For instance, he tells me "Momma go (out)side, pool, swimmin, suit" He strings all those words together, and knows exactly what he is saying!! It's amazing. And he always says, Momma, kiss... after he kisses me, he says "wove you"... oh, melts my heart! Yesterday at church was the cutest, someone sneezed in Sunday School and he looked up and said without any prompting, "Bleess Youuu"!! Everyone started giggling around us, because it was so unexpected. It's amazing what kids pick up on! They hear and see everything!! It makes me really want to be a good example. It also makes me realize that we have to constantly watch what we say and do around him!

Look at this mischievous grin!

Oh how the time flies....

Where did the last two months go? Let me just give you all a run down of our crazy life so far! The last week of July, Carson and I moved from Florida, back to Arizona. It was a crazy couple of weeks before the move. We had to pack up the whole house and get as much of it into our storage unit as possible. I had to be back in AZ, because while Rod completes two internships out in Scottsdale, I'm teaching 7th grade Reading and Writing. I'm back in Tempe, working at the middle school I used to work at, same job, position, and even back in the same room! It worked out perfect actually. Anyway, teachers had to report back to work the last week of July, and I've been back at full-time work ever since. As soon as Rod finished finals at the end of August, he made the lovely, quick, little journey across country. We are all living with my family, which is awesome for us, because it's free, and allows us to save up a lot while I work. Not to mention my darling mother watches Carson for me while I work all day! However, it's so hard to move back and go from small family of 3, to family of 6! HA HA... good thing it's temporary. We'll be in Arizona until after Christmas and then we head back to Florida to live in a beach house for four months!!! We've been having so much fun but boy have we been busy!

Ready for a learner's permit?

This was seriously the best investment!! Carson absolutely adores his car! Everyday he asks for "ride car". He points at it and grunts until he gets his way. We go at least twice a day around our neighborhood. He honks his little horn and waves at all the neighbors. It's too cute! Our driveway has a slope in it and we'll put him at the top and let him "drive" down to the bottom. Somehow this never gets old to him. He always asks for Rod's scooter helmet or "hat" so we thought we'd put it on him. Funny thing is... it's not really that big on his head! Last time we went to the doctor, she measured his head and it was off the charts! HA HA....must mean he's going to be a smart kid!

Everyday my child somehow manages to get stuck under the kitchen chair. He gets so frustrated because he has no clue how to get out. I know it's mean but I always laugh hysterically at him. How can you not laugh... look at that face!! (p.s. I only leave him there for a second, I'm not that bad of a mom!)

Does anyone else struggle to get their kids dressed? I swear it's an enormous project to take clothes off and on. Sometimes I just leave his p.j.'s on until the afternoon!! Or sometimes he's only sporting a diaper...that is until we go somewhere! I think Carson left his p.j. top like this for about an hour.. I think he forgot it was there!

A Year in the life....

Happy Birthday little man...

How is it possible that my little Carson John Walker is a year old? Where the heck did the year go? I swear I was just pregnant and dying for him to come out, and now he's already been here for a year!?! It's so scary!! I feel like my little peanut is getting so big so fast!! I just adore him. My whole world has changed since he has come along. I can't believe how much motherhood changes you. You go from being this selfish person... and bam... EVERYTHING you do, everything, revolves around your child. It sure changed me. I really wouldn't trade it for the world. We had a lot of fun for Carson's birthday. We actually had two parties for him. The Saturday before his birthday we had a BBQ with all of Rod's classmates. We had like 30 people over at our house and I made a Lego cake! It turned out pretty cute, Rod even helped me frost one of the Lego's... it was pretty funny watching him with the frosting. His hands are so big, lets just say it was awkward!! Then on Carson's actual b-day, June 26th, we had a bunch of our friends from church over, and all of their kids... that ended up being like 20 people. I did cupcakes with a beachy theme, they turned out way cute. Carson was so funny both times with the whole eating the cake thing, he just didn't know what to do with it! I've really been a stickler with NO SWEETS before a year, so sweet to him must have been weird! At first he put it in his mouth and made a face, then he kept putting his hands in it and handing it to me. I was dying. If I can figure out how to upload videos, I will for sure put it in! Carson's most favorite gift was his Elmo chair. HE IS OBSESSED WITH ELMO!! Our friend's Elizabeth, Beau, and Buddy gave it to him and he squealed with delight when he saw it!! He just kept saying MEL-MO!! MEL-MO!!! He loves his MEL-MO... it is so precious how he says it!! AHH... Happy Birthday my little guy, WE LOVE YOU TO PIECES!!!

Carson's girlfriend!

Last week we went over to our friend Tabitha's beach house to layout and let our babies play. Her daughter Paige is 7 weeks younger than Carson and she is precious. They are so adorable together. I've never seen two babies interact the way they do!! Even at church this past Sunday, they were playing games together and chasing each other around the bench. They laugh at each other, it seriously is the cutest thing! It's his first girlfriend =-)
We were trying to get Carson to pose against the rock, he wouldn't for anything look at the camera!
Look at that water! Can it be any prettier? I seriously love Florida beaches!!!

The big two seven...

mmm....

Carson loves to be on Rod's shoulders!

Happy Birthday to me!! Holy cow I'm 27!! How is that even possible? I swear I was just 17 graduating high school... college... now I'm married and have a kid?!? Where the heck does all the time go? I really enjoyed my birthday. Rod was way stressed out because he had two tests that day and he really wanted to make my day special. He did once he got home at 5!! My friend Elizabeth took me out for lunch at my favorite place to eat in St. Augustine, Flavors. It's so delicious =-) Then for dinner we headed up to Jacksonville to dine at The Cheesecake Factory!! Our good friends from Alabama, Beau and Elizabeth and their son Buddy came with us. We had so much fun. Buddy and Carson are best friends and only 12 weeks apart! Dinner was great, however, my only complaint was my birthday dessert! They came over with a piece of cheesecake, sang and I blew out the candle, we all took a few bites from it and then the waiter charged us for it!! HA!! Who does that, seriously? I thought birthday desserts were supposed to be for free!?! Oh well. I got a new camera from Rod and I love it. I desperately needed one because my other camera kept dying on me. It's so little and a cute plum color!! It's amazing how much camera's have changed in the last couple of years... they are so much better! After dinner we came home and two of Rod's classmates Angie and Aileen came over and surprised me with a cake!! It was so thoughtful!! Rod was able to get out of baking me a cake( I was offended at first that he didn't, but he knew they were making me one!)It really was such an enjoyable day!!

Me and my hubby

Beau, Elizabeth, and Buddy

Best Buds

Sea World

So last weekend we went with our friends Katie and Gary and their two darling boys, Broox and Cooper to Orlando. It was a last minute, random trip that turned out to be so much fun!! We seriously love this family, and their boys are too cute for words! Carson just loved playing with them. He thinks he is so much older and bigger than he really is!! It's pretty funny. We went to Sea World on Friday and Saturday, and despite the extreme humidity, it was really quite fun! Carson loved the dolphins, whales, turtles and fish!! When we went through the shark tank, he would repeat after Rod, "sarks! sarks!" it was precious! He was such a trooper. He went all day, both days, without a single nap!! I really is so nice to only be an hour and a half from Orlando!! We need to get all the "Florida stuff" in before we move back to Arizona! ......Side note: Katie has a bunch of problems with her foot and walking around a theme park really wasn't her cup of tea, so she rented a "JAZZY" (the motorized wheel chair)!! ha ha... Rod and I were dying.... it was quite hilarious!! Katie, I love you, it made the trip that much more memorable!!

Beach Bums.... and sandy snacks...

Living in Florida has definitely has its perks, especially when you live just a couple of miles from the beach. The beach in St. Augustine is so beautiful... the sand is soft and white, the water is blue and green in some spots, and it's always so clean. We've even seen dolphins a few times, not too far from shore. We go to the beach every chance we get. Carson absolutely loves it!! He is fearless. The other day he was lurching his whole body forward into the waves. It was throwing me off balance so much I thought we'd both fall in!! He'd just assume take off and swim with the dolphins if he could! My only complaint is Carson's choice for a snack... SAND!! AHH, the kid loves it! I'm so anal about this because although the beach is way clean, there is no way the sand is okay to ingest!! It totally grosses me out. And the worst part is it comes out in his diaper for days!! I literally found small shells in his poop!!! I almost took a picture, but decided the imagination is much better!!

Lame!!

Okay,

So I'm lame... what more can I say? I create a blog and don't do anything to it for 4 months!! I'm honestly the worst procrastinator sometimes! SO MUCH has happened in the past few months I don't even know where to begin, so I won't even bother.... HA HA I'll just make a better effort to keep up!

I've only been going to create a blog for about a year now. I really am a total procrastinator! Well, I guess better late than never! Since we do live so far, this really is the best way to keep family and friends up to date with all our latest! One of my New Year's resolutions was to be a better friend, and just maybe this will help me to keep in touch a little bit more.... WHO KNOWS!?!