Carter is 1!!

I can't believe I just typed that Carter is 1! This past year has gone by SO fast! Seems like just yesterday I was making the decision whether to continue the hard, painful labor or give in to a c-section.... the choice was easy after all I had been through! We have been through so much this past year welcoming Carter to our family and watching him grow into the cute little toddler he is becoming. We have had our bumpy patches with him crying for hours at night the first couple months to not sleeping through the night until just a month ago (even that is still a work in progress) but through it all we are so blessed to have him. We love his smiles and giggles and the way he lights up when Connor enters the room. We love hearing Mama or Dada, even when it is just babbling to his toys. He is such a joy and we have loved every moment we have had with him and can't wait to see what the future brings for our baby Carter.
Happy Birthday Carter!

A few steps....

Carter has been trying to walk all over the place!! He does it best when he thinks no one is watching. I was able to get him to take a few for me on camera but as you will see, he still has some more practicing to do.

2nd busiest month

January is the second busiest month for us! As soon as the Christmas decorations come down we go right into birthday party mode. Joseph's birthday is January 7th followed by Connor on the 9th then the month ends with Carter's birthday on the 29th! So needless to say, I can't wait to relax in February!
The day after Connor's birthday, Ninnie (my mother-in-law) came to visit for a few days. We took the boys to Chuck E Cheese's, Connor's favorite place!

Carter even got to join in the fun on the rides!

January is also the month Connor's school has Rodeo Day!



After the bad freeze we had at the beginning of the month our Texas weather is finally back to normal and we can enjoy going outside again!


Can you see all of my teeth??

Connor is 4!!

We can't believe Connor is 4 years old! It seems like just yesterday I was climbing the stairs of the parking garage at the hospital trying to jump start labor to bring him here. He has been so excited about this day. Whenever we ask him how old he is now he is quick to hold up 4 fingers but when asked how many that is he has to count "1,2,3,4!"
We had his party at Going Bonker's. It is an awesome indoor play park with a 3 story climbing gym and a separate arcade area. There were tons of kids running wild there but Connor and his friends had a great time!





He got lots of great board games that we look forward to playing with him as well as some great toys and crafts to play with. He is one lucky boy!

Hyatt Lost Pines Resort

A few weeks before Christmas Joseph informed me that he was going to take the last 2 weeks of the year off. My first thought was, let's plan a little getaway! So after some thought and knowing we didn't want to go too far with the kids, we picked Lost Pines Resort just outside of Austin. We had been there before during the summer as a couples getaway but this time wanted to bring family. I called my parents to see if they were free and the trip was then booked!
One of the great things about the resort is that it is right on the Colorado River. This made a for a great hiking trip!

The hotel had all kinds of activities to keep the kids entertained. They had a room with a bounce house, boards games, ping pong table, video games and a movie. My mom and I tried very hard to get a good ping pong game going but ended up just sweaty and with a cracked ball. It was fun though! Joseph enjoyed bouncing away with the boys in the bounce house. Carter really had a great time in there!

We really enjoyed seeing all of the Christmas decorations, the huge fireplaces and just being lazy while we were there.

At the end of our stay a cold front was coming in with a chance of sleet and snow. My parents had to get back early b/c my mom had to go back to work but we decided to avoid the bad weather and stayed an extra night. What a great choice! We got a little extra R & R and the boys got to enjoy the kids activities a little longer. They even played "Happy Feet" on a big screen that night and served popcorn. Connor really enjoyed that!

Connor got his face painted for the first time ever while we were there. He got to pick out what he wanted and every color on the snake as she painted it on his face. He was SO proud to show it off to everyone at the hotel then was equally as impressed when it washed off in his bath that night.

What a great trip! The perfect getaway. We did not want to leave and can't wait to come back in the summer and enjoy their lazy river!