So Much To Be Thankful For!

This week I have felt very discouraged by all the stressful things going on in the world and by the huge and sometimes overwhelming task of being a good wife and mother. Sometimes I feel like I am swimming against the current.

This morning, I decided to sit down and take a look at my beautiful family and remember the wonderful things about life and forget about the stress and craziness that is always on my mind.

I have so much to be thankful for and pray that I will be able to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. It helps me stay grounded and realize what life is really about.

What I learned today:

Life is to short and precious to waste it on stress and fear. Take it one day at a time and enjoy every moment.

Thank you Cortney for taking these pictures for me. I can't tell you how often I look at them and remember what life is trully about.

Rice Cereal- Yum Yum!!

This is Carter's first taste of Rice cereal.

After a lot of spiting and gaging, he finally figured out how to choke it down.

What a mess. I finally decided we would save the spoon for green beans, and I poked a bigger hole in his bottle and have been feeding it to him that way- Much cleaner and not as much gagging.

Fashon Sense ** By: Stargirl!!

1. When summer is just not coming soon enough....................





2. Fancy Pants & Glitter Coat......... Need I say more?

Fishing and Skeet Shooting on Thanksgiving.

Ryan went fishing with a couple friends Thanksgiving morning. He always comes home so happy after a good fishing trip with the guys.

We went to my Uncle Chad's house for Thanksgiving- The food was yummy and the company was so much fun. I wish I would have taken more pictures. Here are a few of Skeet Shooting. There are a few people I didn't get pictures of, I guess that means we will have to do it again next year.

Caroline's first time shooting:

Mom: What are you aiming at?

Caroline: The dirt.

Well, at least she knows that she hit her target. What a cutie.

Bridger's first time shooting a gun. Him and Parker liked to shoot it as fast as they could, so it sounded like a machine gun. It would make them laugh so hard, you couldn't help laugh with them.

Dad's turn.

Suzi- I knew she would be a natural at Skeet Shooting. There are some people out thier that can do anything Suz, is one of them. (Check out her ear plugs. Great idea Suz)

Brian is an excellent shot too! I was so impressed.

Austin and his girlfriend, Chelsea. Austin left for the MTC yesterday. We are going to miss him very much and we are so proud of him too! Chelsea is such a cute girl it was fun getting to know her a little better. She is really good a skeet shooting too!

If we were having a contest on the best skeet shooter- I would have to say it would be my cousin, Brian. He is quick and just doesn't miss. WOW!!!

My Uncle Chad- He is such a cool guy. I definatly feel privledged to have him for an uncle.

A few GQ pics from my brother, Clint. What a handsome fellow!!!

Priceless Moments.

My handsome boys.

Bridger calls his brother 'buddy'. I am not sure he has ever called him Carter. I am so glad they love each other so much already.

Carter loves all the attention he is getting. Can you blame him. Look at those cute kids.

Caroline loves to baby talk and sing to Carter.

Precious!

A few of my favorite baby parts.....

Check out this outfit!

Caroline dresses herself everday except for school and church days. This is the outfits she usually picks out for herself. Gotta love those funky, silk pajama bottoms and snow boots- Oh and the tie dyed t-shirt.... Well pretty much the whole combo is pretty awesome. What a fun little girl to have around. She is so full of life.

I read a book my Mom brought over - It was called Stargirl. It made me laugh because I trully believe I have my own little stargirl living with me-Only we call her Caroline. If any of you have read it and know Caroline you will probably know what I mean.

Can't resist snapping a picture of those baby blues.

Where did you come from?

We noticed a while ago that Kaitlyn's hair keeps getting wavier and wavier. Today we decided to get out the diffuser and see how much curl we could get out of it. It turned out pretty dang cute. I can't believe parents with brown & green eyes and super-straight hair could get two kids with blue eyes (Caroline & Carter) and one with curly hair.

We ask our kids where they come from and they all answer....Heaven.
They are absolutly right?

Yuck!! Pumpkin Guts.

I probably shouldn't have taken these pictures with the kitchen light on, but I just had to get the kids first reaction to touching pumpkin guts. We usually paint our pumpkins, but this year we carved them- It totally grossed them all out and Ryan and I ended up carving all three pumpkins.

I was so busy making dinner while carving pumpkins, I forgot to take a picture of the finished product. I guess we will have to carve again next year.