NYC Day #1

I honestly cannot begin to tell you how much fun we had on our trip to NYC! What initially started out as a "girls trip" (for me and my mom to celebrate my birthday.. and the end of my twenties), ended up being a trip my entire family was able to take together (minus the kids). It was perfect timing, since my brother will be leaving to join the military in January. We planned this trip right after we moved, so it was something that I had been looking forward to for many, many months! It was perfect, and there was not a single thing that I didn't like about it.

I think I am just going to post what we did each day, especially since there is so much to write about! It was an absolute blast, and I cannot wait until Carter and Ally are old enough for us to take them to NYC at Christmas!

Day #1:
Sam and I left the house around 10:00 am and drove to the DFW airport (after several hugs and kisses...and a few tears). We met my mom and Justin there because they had flown from College Station. We had a little time so we went to eat at Chili's, which ended up being a good decision because our flight was delayed for almost 2 hours. We also had a gate change during this time, and after arriving at the other terminal, Justin noticed there was a spa that offered 10/15/30, etc. minute massages. This is something that I would never normally do, but since we had some time to kill (and it was my first vacation in a long time), Sam, Justin and I decided to do a 15 minute massage each. I had my feet done, and the boys had their backs and necks done. It was wonderful! By the time we were finished, it was time to board! I do not really enjoy flying, but the flight went by fairly quickly because my mom had given me Twilight! I wanted to see what all the hype was about, and since I don't usually have time to read, this was a great way for me not focus on the flight. I read half the book and was hooked (and now I need to see the movie!).

When we got to the airport, we met my dad and checked into the hotel. We were all starving by this point, so we ate at the first place we saw outside of the hotel (Good-Burger). It was ok, but nothing like Chicken Oil or Koppe Bridge! After eating, I was too excited to wait until the morning, so we decided to try and find the tree at Rockefeller Center. We couldn't find it, so we decided to call it a night and get some sleep for our adventure the following day!

Christmas Fun

After a long day of traveling home from New York, we somehow managed to make it to Carter's Christmas program (which was rescheduled for Tuesday instead of Thursday!). Carter did a great job, and even got so into the performance that he was dancing around on stage. The entire program was great, especially because it didn't last too long!

Ally loved watching all the kids!

Carter's class had their Christmas party today, and his teachers were so kind to include him in all the festivities, even though he doesn't usually attend on Wednesdays. The kids got to wear their pj's, watch "The Polar Express," eat pizza, decorate gingerbread men, eat cupcakes and participate in a book exchange! Daddy even took off work to join the celebration, which was nice because Ally was having a meltdown (it was her nap time) and there were a million things to take home!

My Big Boy

December 2005

December 2006

December 2007

December 2008It's official...Carter is no longer a baby! Today is his 3rd birthday, and it just doesn't seem possible that my 6.0 lb sweet baby has turned into such a smart, handsome boy! He has brought so much joy into our lives, and we are lucky that God chose us to be his parents! Happy Birthday, Carter-Roo, we love you!!!

Exciting Weekend

We have had so much fun this weekend, and there is still another day to go! Thank you to Gaga and Bubba for driving in and spending time with us. We love you and are so happy that you came to visit and celebrate with us! Check out the new posts about Carter's birthday party and the Polar Express train ride!

Carter's 3rd Birthday Party

We celebrated Carter's 3rd birthday today at The Little Gym (I am still having a hard time believing my baby is about to be three!). It was a blast, and we were blessed to have so many of Carter's new friends join us for the big day!We decided to have extra time in the gym, so instead of opening presents at the party, we came home and opened them while we were in our pajamas! Carter got so many neat things, and we are so thankful for everyone who took time to come and join us today!

All Aboard!

Last night we took the kids to Grapevine to ride the Polar Express! If you are in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, or are looking for a fantastic family adventure, then I recommend going on the train ride! It was definitely worth the 45 minute drive it took us to get there, and it is something that we want to do again!

We got there about 30 minutes early, which was just enough time to look around before we went in the tent. Once we were in there, we sang some Christmas songs and anxiously awaited the "All Aboard" call from the conductor. The train looked just like the train in the book and on the movie (which we watched with Carter the night before). Although it was a short ride (about 30 minutes), we sang Christmas songs, listened to "The Night Before Christmas," and even had a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus! When Santa walked past our seats, Carter told him he wanted a yellow bike for Christmas, and I think Santa was a little shocked that he didn't just wave or tell him "hi" like the rest of the kids! It was really cute! The conductor even came and punched holes in all the tickets right before we unloaded! It was a lot of fun, and I look forward to doing it again!

Cheetos

I got my laptop back from Dell yesterday so I can finally update the blog! This is a picture of when we got home from Sam's Club the other day. Sam and I were still unloading the car, and when we walked in the house, this is what we found! Carter and Ally had decided they needed some Cheetos that were left on the counter, out of their reach (or so I thought)!