Smooth Criminal

I took part of the day off work today to get some shopping done in preparation for Carter's big birthday bash on Saturday. I decided to take Carter with me and spend a little mommy/son time together. I went to Party Palace to pick up some decorations. As we were getting in the car after making our purchases Carter pulls out this soccer pen from his coat sleeve. I asked him where he got it and he said from inside the store. So....I made him go back inside and hand it to the store clerk and apologize for stealing it. The lady was really nice and explained to him that it's not nice to take things with out paying for them. He pretty much kept his head turned into my leg the whole time. I really think he felt bad about it and we had to have a talk once we got back in the car. I cant believe I didnt see him take it. It was our first and hopefully last shoplifting experience.

On a lighter note, as we were driving around town he said 2 really cute things today. When we first got in the car he said to me, "Mommy, it stinks in your car. It smells like the dentist!" I guess I bring my work home in more ways than one. Then later on we were driving past Wilks Funeral Home and he said, "Mommy what is that place?" I tried to explain to him that its a place we go to remember loved ones when they die and go to heaven. Our Grandpa Bullock passed away in October and we've extensively talked about how Grandpa Bullock's spirit went to heaven. After I explained about the funeral home he was quiet for a few minutes and then he said, "Mommy, Grandpa Bullock is the spirit of Christmas." I'm not quite sure what he meant by it but it was cute anyway. I love the innocent things kids say!

Halloween and Dentists....Scary!

Avery went to her 1st dental
appointment the other day and she

did great! I had her watch Carter
go first and she was itchin to have her turn in the fun chair and play with Mr. Thirsty (the suction). She even let them take x-rays which is awesome for someone as young as she is. She is only 20 months old but she was a pro! There was good news and bad news though. The good news is that she didnt have any cavities...Yay! But the bad news is that she has a tiny mouth and we need to start saving our pennies for braces. Its a good thing I work for a dentist cuz we usually get a professional discount at the orthodontist office. Guess I cant quit working just yet. Bummer!

I know this is like 2 months behind schedule but better late than never. Here are our goblins! Carter wanted to be Optimus Prime for Halloween and this is what we came up with. All of the store costumes were way to big for him so we improvised. We got a tshirt, sweats and a bandana that we put around his mouth. And of course the OP treat bag is a must accessory. Avery on the other hand was my Dollar Store costume. She is a little fairy, like Tinkerbell, and I bought her entire outfit for $5 including the Tinkerbell treat bag. They both looked so cute. We went trick or treating at the mall and met up with the rest of the Bullock family. Aunt Cassie dressed up as a bull and Carter was completely terrified of her/it. After the mall we went to Grandma and Granpa Roeslers, Ashley and Brandi's and then Grandma and Grandpa Johnson's. We ended our night by eating dinner at Burger King and then stopping at Home Depot to visit Aunt Misty. We had tons of fun! The week earlier however, we went to Grandpa Erick's annual pumpkin patch party at Caldwell Park. The kids each got to pick out a pumpkin and got lots of candy. It was fun but SUPER cold. We were popscicles by the time we left. It was a good thing Grandma Bullock offered to buy us lunch at Wendy cuz the chili was warm and yummy!

Last weekend my friend Jenni graciously came over to our house and took lots of really cute pictures of our family for Christmas. I wish I had the patience to load all of them onto my blog cuz they are so cute, but I dont. Here are my 3 favorite and of course the family one at the top of our blog. Arent my kids so stinking cute. They are really photogenic and I love taking pics of them too. Next weekend is Carter's birthday and we are planning for a Transformer Party. It should be lots of fun and I will definitely post more pics at that time.

Just Dance

The other night Nick and I were sitting in the living room watching TV. We had just put both kids to bed, however, we could still hear Carter in his room talking and moving around. The show that we were watching started playing the song "Just Dance" by Lady Gaga. Its a pretty catchy tune. A minute later Carter yells out.....

Carter: Daddy!

Nick pauses the TV.

Nick: What Carter?
Carter: I like this song.
Nick: Me too bud now go to sleep.

Nick pushes play and we continue watching the show. Another few seconds go by and we hear...

Carter: Daddy!
Nick: What Carter?
Carter: I'm dancin in my bed!

We laughed for the next 20 minutes or so off and on. Ahh.....the things kids say! Classic!

Random Stuff

This is my new hobby. My friend taught me how to make hair bows for Avery. I have been having so much fun. You can be so creative. I decided to make a bunch for the craft fair I am going to be a part of in November. I can make any kind and any color. Let me know if you'd like me to make you one. I am going to be selling them too!

Last Sunday we took the kids to Cherry Springs for a nature walk. Carter found a big stick and turned it into a gun. He had lots of fun kicking the leaves around too.

And this is my sweet little Avery. This is one of the few pictures I actually got of her looking at the camera. She watches her feet when she walks and so she wouldnt look up. But....we were in this grove of trees and the sun was shining on her just perfectly. Isnt she adorable!!

Avery is kind of a slow walker because once again, she looks at her feet when she walks so Carter, being the good big brother that he is, grabbed her hand and walked with her. How precious!

And this is my little Jazz man!! He is just as big of a Jazz fan as his Mommy and Daddy. I cant wait to take him to a real game when he is old enough. He loves sporting his jersey and head and wrist bands.

This kids loves healthy food. I dont even have to try and force her....she just eats it! I was making tacos one night for dinner and she wanted some tomatoes. I gave her a few on her plate and she ate all of it. In fact she ate 4 plates of tomatoes that I had chopped up.

By the time I realized it, she had eaten the entire tomato!! I had to chop up another one just so I could have some on my taco. Avery and I are the only ones that like tomatoes. Im so grateful she loves healthy food. But.....she also loves unhealthy food too!! :)

The other day I was sitting the living room and the kids were in Carters bedroom playing.

Carter: Mommy!! Come here.

Me: What do you need Carter?

Carter: Come see me and Sissy.

I walk into the bedroom and find both of them in his little recliner....reclining.

Carter: Dont we look cute Mommy?

Me: Yes, you guys look so cute!

Carter: Take a picture Mommy!

An Awesome Night of Fun

Well the auction went great on Thursday! We raised a lot of money for Tegan and I pray that it helps her and her family with the day to day costs. I loved being a part of it all. Thank You Jen for letting me help. We got to the Red Lion at 3pm to set up. Erin, Alison and I were getting all of the centerpieces ready. We had fish bowls filled with pretty pink and purple rocks and goldfish. They were slippery little suckers! So much in fact that Erin ended up spilling the bag of like 30 fish on the floor and there was goldfish flopping all around. It was pretty funny and I just want to reassure everyone that we saved every single fish.....including the one I found under the table about 5 minutes later! We got the slide show working on the projecter and then the band showed up to set up and practice. The bands name was Brothers of Jared and they were really, really good! They played a lot of old and new stuff. I was really impressed with them. I highly recommend them. After setting up, we all rushed home to get ready and head back to start greeting people. I was positioned up front with Brandi, Shelby and Alison. Shelby and Alison are aunts of Tegan. It was really awesome to get to know them and work beside them most of the night. Our job was to sell raffle tickets, greet people and assign them a bid number. After the auction we were also in charge of checking the winning bidders out at the end of the night. That proved to be the toughest job throughout the whole night. It was pure chaos but everyone ended up paying and being happy with what they won. Even Brenda Baumgartner and Todd Blackinton from channel 6 news came. Brenda won a fun gift and it was really neat to see them there just showing their support for the Salce's, not because they were reporting the event. The auctioneer, Roger, did an amazing job with getting people to bid higher and making it a fun night for everyone. I never did get to go inside the auction because I was super busy selling tickets and checking people out but I could hear him and he sounded like he was having lots of fun too. We had one game called 50/50. Anyone who bought a ticket for it was eligible to win half of the pot at the end of the night. I knew the lady that won it and she ended up donating her half back to the family!! What an awesome thing to do! The whole night was so much fun. My family and Nicks parents showed up too and they all stayed the whole night. Carter, my son, had so much fun playing with all of the big kids at the auction. It was so fun to watch him laugh and run around. They all ended up dancing on the dance floor to the band. I'm pretty sure they had a good time too. Towards the end, Shelby, Tegan's aunt, got up and thanked everyone and there wasn't a dry eye in the room. Earlier in the evening, I had 2 small boys, along w/their mom, come up to the table and put $20 each in the donation cans. I thanked them for their generosity and the mom pointed to one of her boys and said, "This is my little survivor. He was diagnosed when he was 5 and he made it. Ive know people on both sides and we support anyone going through this." All four of us at the table were bawling like babies. Its just so amazing to see how generous people can be and that they really do care. I am so blessed to be a part of this and I pray for Tegan everyday that she will get stronger and healthier for her big surgery on the 29th. Thank you to everyone who came and showed your support. Mostly I am thankful for my beautiful children and for their health. You never know when it could be them in the hospital fighting for their life. We are going to start planning our next fundraiser for Nov. 7. A craft fair with lots of neat stuff. Keep it open on your calendars and please keep Tegan in your prayers! Thanks everyone!

Spread the Word

For those of you that actually read my blog I would love it if you can help me spread the word about Tegan Salce. She is a 2 yr old little girl that was diagnosed with a very rare and aggressive form of cancer called MRT in April. There are only 15 cases diagnosed each year and only a 20% survival rate. Tegan's parent tried for 5 years to conceive until they were finally blessed with this sweet little girl. My heart goes out to them because of our own fertility problems. Tegan lives in my neighborhood and there are a lot of wonderful people helping out her family. We are having a fabulous fundraiser for her next Thurs. Sept 24th from 6:30 to 8:30 at the Red Lion. Its a FREE, yes I said FREE, Ice Cream Social. There is also going to be a Live and Silent Auction and also a raffle. There is going to be some amazing items in the auction and raffle. We need as many people to attend as possible. Please come and bring your family, friends and coworkers!! Did I mention there was going to be Free Ice Cream!!! To see all of the items being auctioned and raffled go to miraclefortegan.blogspot.com. I cant help but think how many of us take having healthy children for granted. My children in particular to me are divine gifts from God and I am so thankful that they are healthy. I cant imaging sitting in a hospital room for days on end watching my daughter endure the awful side effects of chemo and then to be holding her as clumps of hair fall off of her precious little head. Tegan is scheduled for surgery to remove the tumor and it is a very invasive surgery. They actually have to remove her collar bone to get to it. Please help us to raise money for the medical costs associated with her treatments and the traveling expenses. We will also be having a Craft Fair in early November. If anyone is interested in having a booth to sell items, please contact me. I will definitely be there helping out so you will see a familiar face there. If anyone has any questions or knows of something to donate for the auction or raffle please let me know. I hope to see you all there!!!

Spring and Summer Stuff

Here are some pics to go with what we've been doing for the last 6 months.....Just having fun mostly!!

We took the kids to Hogle Zoo and had a blast. Well except Nick....he got eaten by a lion!!

Me and Avery liked the elephant exhibit. It was our favorite!

Carter got pneumonia right after we moved into our new house. Here is one of the bad days he had laying on the couch. He was so weak he couldnt even sit up to let me dress him. Poor kid!

Avery had her first birthday in March and I made a butterfly cake for her which she hardly touched. But that was ok....she looked to pretty to get all messy!

My sweet baby girl on her 1st birthday. Doesnt she look so pretty in her party dress!

On Mothers Day we had a BBQ at my parents house and Carter was giving Avery rides on his Harley. He can pop wheelies ya know. Even with Avery on the back.

It's very rare that I get both kids "sitting" and posing for pictures. Here they are on the 4th of July all fesive-like. Carter was giving me the courtesy smile that's not really even a smile.

Kissing cousins....or should I say hugging cousins. We went to the mountains with Nick's family and Cayben and Carter actually got along for most of the night. They even hugged each other because they wanted to and not because we made them to apologize for something. Dont they look so stinking cute. I wish they didnt fight so much! :)

When cousin Sam came to visit, a lot of time was spent playing in the pool and eating popscicles. On this HOT day, they each ate about 3 popscicles and as you can see Carter is in love with his and Sam thinks he is a weirdo. He's probably right though.

Avery also enjoys a popscicle now and then. I tried to take the popscicle away from her to clean her up and she flipped out. Do Not Mess with her popscicle!!!

Last but not least, this is what happens when you let Grandma do Avery's hair. Enough said.