Mid-Winter Break

Old Mission Peninsula Lighthouse

Traverse City Children's Museum

Isla in her first swimsuit...Alan got chills she looked so cute...don't you just want to squeeze those adorable chubby legs?

Oak warmed up to swimming again after about 5 minutes (since he hadn't swam since last September) and wanted to jump to Daddy over and over again

Alan got a 4 day weekend at the end of February, so with no extra money, we decided we needed some fresh air and to get out of town...we found a very affordable, clean, nice, with a pool hotel in Traverse City, northern MI...one of the best year-around tourist towns on Lake Michigan...and took off for 3 nights. It was such a nice respite as a family...we enjoyed the travel, the beauty of the northern snow, winter on Lake MI (the water was still a beautiful turquoise and blue even though it was 10 degrees out), wineries and vineyards (some of the best in the U.S. on the 45th Parallel), swimming in the pool (Oak couldn't get enough of it), good food, fun shops, and an overall friendly place. Alan now has added "own a cherry farm or vineyard on Mission Peninsula" to his list of things to do before he dies:) It truly is a great area, and we had so much fun as a family just getting away for a little bit!

6 month old Isla BooBoo

Yes, more nicknames abound, as our little chunk-a-munk (sorry, Suzy, to steal that from you, but it is so fitting for Isla right now:) grows and changes. She is over 6 months old now and has been rolling around, sitting up to play with toys, trying rice cereal, and giving lots of gooey, open-mouthed kisses...oh, I almost forgot, she cut her first two teeth yesterday and today (amidst beginning our real effort at potty training Oak...fun times at the Carter house this week;)

Here she is with her big, beautiful smiles and all...we love you, Isla BooBoo!!

New Year- Happy 2010

Can you believe we are in 2010...I remember 2000 like it was yesterday...wow!!
We have started our new winter 2010 routine and schedule this week, and it is going well...things are busy again...but, we are trying to prioritize our time and have fun while we do everything (even while changing the 14th diaper of the day:)
This week, Oak is continuing to show his growth and ever-changing mind...in his artwork and puzzles, games, and play...also in taking more responsibility for certian duties...we love our son and are so proud of him and amazed at the little boy he is becoming!
Isla decided as her new year present to us to start to roll over and sit up- she has done both this week several times...and I wish there was a way to show you her amazing smile and giggles, I can never catch on camera...I know what it means to smile with your eyes now, our girl does it. We love her so much and can't believe how wonderfully we have been blessed!
Both kiddos light up our days...I have caught them several times this week making each other laugh so hard by doing silly things...precious moments... I know Isla looks kinda goofy here, but between trying to sit up for the first time and the crazy cloth diaper...so funny, she started to lean and slowly went left a few seconds after this picture:)

Sweet, sweet, precious Baby girl
Making play-dough pizza "for everyone come over tonight for party Oak's house" in his exact words!!

December was so much FUN!!

We can honestly say we had a great Christmas season this year, not too busy, not too slow, just right. I think it was due to Alan putting his foot down and saying after over a year and a half of being too busy that we needed a month to just "be"...so we said no to a lot of things and only went to the festivities that we had to be at or wanted to go to, we spent lots of time outside sledding and having snowball fights, followed by cups of hot chocolate, followed by lots of movies (Oak is becoming a movie buff like his dad;), played tons of cars and tickled/wrestled for hours. It was so great having Alan home for over 2 weeks...I think I enjoyed this holiday break more than one I can remember...probably due to having both kids and loving to have our daddy around to play with! For Isla's first Christmas and Oak's third, it was so beautiful to watch them...the beauty of the sights and sounds around the house and town, Oak loved our tree so much that he cried when we took it down last week...he understood that it was Baby Jesus' birthday we were celebrating and that we made cookies for his party...Isla was mesmerized by the lights every morning as we turned them on in the dark...Oak was appreciative for every gift he received (amazing in my book , for a 2.5 year old) and concerned about Isla getting nice things, too. Alan and I enjoyed seeing our kids bring the spirit of Christmas alive in our hearts...of true love and sacrifice, of giving of all that you have for others. We love this time of year...and this year, we loved it so very much!!

We felt so blessed to have our family, a warm, safe home, and wonderful friends all over the world...so many do not have these amazing riches, we pray God's provision and peace for all those in need...it was an amazing season to give thanks and rejoice in all that God has given and blessed us with!

I love this picture- both beautiful ladies looking out the window:) Play-time at the Children's museum- Daddy and Grammy had not been there before Isla's first time in the sled- she went down with me a few times and Alan said her eyes were wide as could be-but I heard her giggling:) Last year, Oak hated the snow...this year, we can't get him out of it...he LOVES it! He wants to build BIG snowmen and sled AGAIN AND AGAIN...he walks up the big hills all by himself and sometimes even carries his own sled...we are loving being in the winter wonderland with him...so much fun! Christmas traditions Isla's first Christmas- she was awake long enough to open her stocking on Christms eve and pose for some cute pictures

Oak joined the annual tradition of making Christmas cookies on Christmas eve before candle-light service- he used the entire bottle of sprinkles on those three cookies...yummy! Isla watched wondering if she could get her hands on some...not til next year, sweetie...Cute hubby!! Cute kiddos!! Oak making Christmas treats for neighbors and friends

Over the past month or so....

It has been a great couple of weeks...I have kind of combined everything from the last month or so into one post, it goes in backwards chronology, so you might want to start at the bottom of the post...there are lots of pictures to document all that has happened since October 31st...because, hey, this is our family's online scrapbook, I think some pics are just funny and true to life and we have had a lot of fun in the last few weeks:) Enjoy!!
P.S. Alan and I celebrated 9 years of marriage on November 17 and didn't get any pics to show for it...we had a great dinner at Kobe Hibachi Steakhouse, where we actually talked to each other for a solid hour without interruption, then we went for yummy dessert and hot chocolate at a fun candy/sweet shoppe in a local neighborhood. Babe, you are the best partner on this journey I could ever ask for...11.5 years of living life, learning, and laughing, and I love you more than ever!!

An annual Christmas tradition since we moved back to Michigan 2.5 years ago is to go help out at my parents' Christmas tree party for their clients. Everyone stops by, visits with my parents while having hot chocolate and donuts, and picks out a tree. We have gotten our family tree each year at this time. So, this is Oak's 3rd tree getting expedition and I was sure he would love it more this year...but, of course, he didn't nap, fell asleep in the car and awoke quite crabby, so I documented some of his crying episodes. Isla, meanwhile, was loving it, and smiling the whole time with rosy cheeks:)

A small petting zoo with pygmy goats, pigs and bunnies

King of the castle with our little tree- so cute and just perfect for our living room:)
Uncle Tim trying to get Oak to laugh as he hysterically cries at not wanting to have anything to do with cutting down our tree
Another try at a family picture:)

We just thought this was fun and a bit cheesy, but you know, so are we:)

Isn't Isla a big girl?? Four months and one week old...and so now I won't do a separate post for her each month, but rather just include her in our family posts, since she is one of the important pieces to our Carter family puzzle!!

We have instituted a "First Friday Edna Street Fun Night" with our neighbors, where over the winter months we get together with all of our neighbors that we are used to seeing every day, but won't since it is cold, to stay in touch and hang out, have fun and food on the first Friday night of the month. This month, we turned it into our Christmas party and had white elephant re-gift exchange. It was so much fun...and look at how many adults and kids we have in one living room?? Isn't it great:)

These mini-sombreros were one of the many awesome re-gifts at the party. For those of you who know Alan, I tried to get rid of one of his 12 year old, cut off t-shirts that is grey now instead of white- but he stole it back on his turn for a gift...oh well, with loving my hubby comes loving his yucky t-shirts:)

I know you get sick of me talking about the season changes, but it happened again and OH HOW I LOVE IT!! We had all been wondering when the snow would come, since a "No Snow November" is VERY RARE, and then it hit Thursday night as I walked home from the first Christmas party of the season...the beautiful flakes began to fall and pile up. Over night we got about 6 inches, all schools were closed on Friday morning, except Alan's (such a bummer) and we awoke to the pristine, stark, beauty of this...Thank you, Lord, for your amazing creation that reminds me each day of your awesome power!

I've always loved to take a run right after a snow fall, be the first to forge the trail through the fresh blanket. So, I bundled the kiddos up and we pushed through a walk around the block (nothing was shoveled or plowed, yet, so it was quite a PUSH)...such beauty surrounded us and Oak loves the snow this year, while Isla just simply enjoys the new experiences of each day...she came home from our walk with the sweetest snowflakes on her pretty eyelashes

This was the only smile I could get out of Oak, because in normal toddlerdom, nothing is going to be fun until Mommy forces you to do it:)

We began Christmas decorating last weekend and this was Isla on the couch trying to help, and looking oh so cute!!

Thanksgiving 2009

We are taking a quick respite in between cooking all morning to have a glass of wine

I love how my brother always has to have something in our pictures to document he was there

Isla and Daddy watching football- doesn't she looked so adorable and comfy on her daddy's lap?

I just love trying to get a family picture-you know, the mom is always trying to get a good one, and for one reason or another none of them usually end up being perfect, but you know that is why I love it, life is not perfect...so this one was the best of three and we still have Mom with eyes closed, daughter looking down, son with goofy thumb in mouth, and hey Dad, you look pretty good:)

Isla with Uncle Tim and Daddy...of course, Alan has the eyes on the game in case he misses an ever so important momentGrampy with his 2 munchkins

Isla's first Thanksgiving and doesn't she look adorable? She was sleeping during the mashed potatoes, though, sorry Granna Carter:)

Grampy Anders turned 55 and we took him to Hibachi steak for dinner (it is kind of a family birthday tradition)- Oak really enjoyed watching the food being cooked this year, last year he wasn't quite sure what was going on...and Isla just smiled and cooed, always content:)

Granna Carter came for a November visit (a little early this year, we missed you PaPa and Granna at Thanksgiving). We had a good time just doing our normal daily routine with Granna around to help hold one kid or the other, play, and have fun (of course, she also got to be part of the daily infant crying, toddler meltdowns, and normal crazy fun life in the house of a family with two kids under 3:)

Trip to the GR Children's Museum with Granna- Oak loves going there...

We had unseasonably warm weather all throughout November- Oak and a neighbor friend, Clara, were playing in the leaves...we are so very blessed to have great neighbors with almost a dozen kids Oak and Isla's age that live right on our immediate block to play with and live life with on a daily basis...it is an awesome experience!

This Fall, I did something I have always dreamed of...directed a Race!! Since July of 2008, I have been working with Stacy (my co-director, below) to plan the first 5K Race to ever happen in our neighborhood. It took a lot more work, organization, and time than I had ever imagined as I have stood at many road race start lines over the past 17+ years, but it was an amazing event, lots of fun, and a great learning experience-maybe something I would like to do for a paying job someday. We are pumped to do it again next year-starting back up in January!

Some of the Race Team members at the finish line where all those that came in costume were judged for fun awards

Alger Heights Halloween 5K Start Line- freezing cold, but lots of excitement and cool Halloween costumes...527 Registrants and tons of fun!