My Reason for Not Blogging Much this Summer

I have heard a lot of comments on my lack of dedication to my blog page. Let me assure you that it was a temporary thing and now I am hoping to be able to blog on a more regular basis, instead of once every 5 or 6 weeks. In my defense, I am posting these pictures as proof that we have been very busy lately with our yard. We have done all the work, and we are so pleased with the way it is turning out. We have been raking rocks, digging trenches, burying pipe, laying sod, laying brick borders, and planting things! These first two pictures were taken on the day we signed for the house.

And here are the pictures of our new yard!

As you can see, we still have a lot more to do, but maybe we'll call it good for this summer...I'm getting tired of raking rocks. :)

They're Getting So Big!

Playing at Carson's table

Carson changing Natalie's diaper

The Kids in Wyoming

Since there aren't many pictures of Natalie in the slideshow, I decided to add a few here. She is absolutely adorable, and we love having her around!

As you can see in the slideshow below, Carson had a great time with his Wyoming cousins! He saw me loading these pictures onto the computer, and he said, "My Friends!" It was really cute. I have the best kids!

Playing in Grandma's Park

RC Monster Trucks

A year ago my dad got involved in these RC monster trucks, and we've all subsequently been hooked on this fun hobby. These trucks might be a little temperamental, but the guys say that's half the fun. Me, I just like to drive them. They have lots of power, and they can go 35mph! As of today, we have 6 trucks in the family, and they are the most fun when you get a bunch going at the same time. We held the first Lorimer RC Monster Truck Rally at my parents' house when we were there to see Dean a week or two ago.

The guys built an obstacle course, and Shane made a jump. We also did drag racing.

It was a blast! We should have had five trucks running at the time. Of course, one was broken. And by the end of our truck rally, three others needed a little TLC. Since my dad's was the only one still running at the end, I guess technically he won. But by the end of the day all the trucks were running again. It was a blast, and we are hoping to do it again sometime soon!

Even when we're back at home, Mike and I love to take our trucks out together. These trucks are awesome!

Ist Annual RC Truck Rally

He's Home

Well, it's hard to believe but two years are up, and Dean is back home. I know my parents are happy to have him around again, and so are we! We went to visit everybody and see him over a week ago now, and it's almost like he was never gone. We love you Dean!

Our First Fishing Trip

Talk about an exciting fishing trip! We only caught one small fish, and that was actually Mike that caught it. However, Carson helped reel it in. Then he insisted that Mike put the fish on his own little fishing pole for pictures. It was really funny. So here's the fish that Carson "caught."

Look Alikes-Need I Say More?

Always Together

Carson sharing his bed with Natalie

Carson and Natalie trying out his new sleeping bag

Natalie and Carson "helping" Mom with laundry

Hard at Work

This is Mike and Carson digging the ditches for our new sprinkler system. Carson has such a fascination with any object that has wheels and a motor, and he just loves tractors. It was a fun day for him, and a fun day for me when it was all finally finished!

Brotherly Love

When Natalie was born, Carson was so soft and careful with her, and he just loved her so much. I wondered if it would last. Half of it did. He still adores her and loves to be with her and share, but he is no longer soft. One minute he'll be cooing at her, and the next he's jumping on her or pulling her hair. The crazy thing about it is that she still loves him! No matter how rough he is with her, she still gives him the biggest smiles, and nobody can make her laugh the way he does. He'll play Ring Around the Rosies by himself, running around in circles in front of her, and she'll laugh and laugh. Mike and I sure can't get he to laugh that hard. He loves to play with her, and he always shares his

favorite toys with her.

I Love Having A Girl!

What an angel! I was worried that I wouldn't know what to do with a girl, but I have been pleasantly surprised to find that I love it! I am particularly fond of her new hairdo with 2 ponytails. And finding cute dresses is the best! I love having my little girl! What a perfect addition to our family.

Too Skinny?

Carson has always been a skinny kid. A few weeks ago, he got pretty sick, and he hardly ate anything for about 10 days. He lost weight, I could tell, because every pair of pants he had would fall off. One day I let him pick out what Natalie was going to wear, and he chose this cute jean skirt with pink tassles from Jadi. But instead of letting Natalie wear it, Carson decided to put it on. The crazy thing was this: It fit him around the waist! My two year old son is only slightly bigger around the waist than my 5 month old daughter! He's been eating much better the last week or two, so hopefully he will put weight back on quickly so he can't wear any more of her clothes.

Carson's Baby

Before Natalie was born, we got Carson his own baby. Though he liked it okay at the time, it has turned out to be a great toy now that Mommy has a baby. He says his baby is a girl and her name is Natalie, too. She wears Natalie's clothes and diapers that are too small for her now. And whatever Mommy's Natalie is doing, Carson's Natalie has to do the same thing! It is just so cute to see him take care of his baby!

Sharing

Carson has always been more than willing to share all of his toys with his sister. This is his new favorite toy that the Easter Bunny brought him. I doubt he'd share it with his friends, but here he is, putting it up to Natalie's mouth so that she can lick it, because he knows that licking stuff is one of her favorite things to do. What a sweet big brother.

Spring!

I just went out to get the mail, and I was surprised to feel how warm it was! The weather was just gorgeous. I came inside and checked our current weather conditions. 45 degrees with winds at only 14mph. What a balmy, spring day! Gotta love the Rocky Mountain region! :)

Easter Fun

Happy Easter!

We had a fun Easter. The Easter Bunny came to our house on Saturday morning, and Carson was happy to see plenty of candy, and a brand new Mater figure for his collection of cars. Then we went to an Easter Egg hunt at the library. What a good time! Saturday night we decorated eggs. My cousin Stephanie came to visit us for the weekend, and Carson enjoyed having someone to play with. We'll all miss her this week. It was nice to have some company.

The kids in their new Easter outfits

So Cute!

Natalie is getting so big so fast! She is a very content and easy baby, always smiling and laughing. And of course, all that hair is just so much fun to fix.

Getting chubbier every day!

This is Natalie after she's had a ponytail all day!

Carson the Artist

Carson has lately taken up a new hobby: painting. He decided if Daddy can do it, so can he. I bought him a bunch of ceramic figures, and boy does he have a good time. He uses a lot of colors and a lot of paint! He loves doing it, and he's not finished until every last inch is painted.

Friends

Here is Carson with his friend Emma. She came over to play tonight, and he was very sweet. He insisted on sharing everything with her. I think he is feeling more generous lately since he has a younger sibling of his own to practice with.

Carson recently decided to share his blankets and his pillow with his sister. So he made a bed for her in the living room.

Potty Training

We are in the process of potty training Carson. Needless to say, he loves to wear his big boy underwear, even if it is on his head! Oh, and he likes to try on Mom's shoes.

Tower

Carson loves to build with his blocks, and he is surprisingly good at getting them to stack up really high. This particular one is a "truck."