28 weeks

This is mostly for Shannon.  She wanted to see a picture of my pregnant belly.  So, here you are:

Guess I can't complain for being 28 weeks along.  So far, I've only been using my belly band, when I wear my skinnier clothes.  Usually I just wear my fat jeans or gym clothes or elastic waist skirts.  Can't believe I'll have a baby in less than 3 months (or there about).

Cute, modest swimsuits:

http://www.hapari.com/modest-tankinis/

2012

I can't believe how fast time goes by.  Wow!  Another year gone.  I know I have been totally slacking in the blogging world.  And this post will be as boring as ever.  I have no pictures so if you'd like to read some rambling, feel free.

We did do some things this past year...I'm just not sure what they were.  I know we visited some family.  Made another trip to DC (it was great as usual).  We didn't do any major home improvements (much to my dismay, I wanted to paint downstairs and do some fixing up there, but it never happened).  I suppose all in all it was a good year.

This next year should bring some fun and exciting changes.  Two of my sister-in-laws are pregnant (one is Sam's sister, the other my brother's wife), and come June our family will have one more as well.  No, we are not finding out what gender our baby is prior to birth, and yes, I think that we will be able to prepare just as well.  I'm getting excited...although it's definitely taken some time to get used to the idea that I'm pregnant.  I'm not sure I'm there yet.  Perhaps it would help if I was showing...maybe.  I obviously don't know when it will be real to me, since this is my first time.

Anyway, I've definitely made some resolutions, but none of them are too exciting or impressive.  Mostly they are just personal improvement goals...boring for you, but I'm glad to report that I've already made a good start.  At least this year I DO NOT have the resolution to lose weight!  I guess that might become a mid-year resolution.  Maybe the next time I post I'll have some pictures of something....

June!

Yay!  It's summer and it actually feels like summer.  It is great!  I guess I will write about our anniversary, not that we did anything too awesome.  It is hard to believe that I've been married for two years.  Weird.  Anyway, we just went to dinner at PF Changs...we never go there.  It was good, I could make that a tradition.  And then we went to a movie after that, oh yeah, the new Pirates of the Caribbean.  Pretty good show,  I liked the new X-men movie we went to for Megan's birthday better.

As for that wood project I want to make later on this summer, I think it was some sort of table like chest.  I haven't looked at the magazine that had the plans for a while.  But, i was going to paint it black, and distress it and use it for a coffee table in our front room.  If it turns out okay, that is.  Other than that not too much is going on.  I'm loving the warm weather and Sam and I went for our first swim of the summer last night.  Yay!  Of course, right as we got to the pool the wind picked up and so it was kinda cold getting out, but not too bad.

Yeah, yeah, I know this background doesn't go all that great with my heading and what not, but you have to admit it is so me.  Gotta love the yellow!

Another year gone...

I can hardly believe that this school year is over.  It goes so fast.  Crazy.  It's been a good year.  I did take pictures of dinners Sam and I made one week, but of course I'm way too lazy to actually put them on this blog.  I know it's not that difficult.  But, you know. 

I mean, it's taken me this long just to get a post going.  Not too much has changed in our lives.  We had a good Spring Break in Vegas.  Went to the Beatles Love show...I would recommend it to anyone.  It was awesome.  Now, I'm in school and although I only have two classes, it does manage to consume a lot of my time.  It's good to be back in school.  Maybe Sam will start going the second half of the summer like he says he will. 

Other than that things are really about the same.  I'm excited for the summer and for this semester of school to be over.  I'm hoping to make a wood project.  Sam said he would help me, other than that I have some sewing projects and there's always the task of catching up on scrapbooking.  Good times!

So I was talking with my parents and my brother, John, tonight after the priesthood session.  We were talking about reading classic books and I now have a new favorite quote from John.  He said, "I didn't have to read any classics because I watched 'Wishbone.'"

 

What is "Wishbone," you ask.  Well, it was a PBS show about a kid and a dog.  The kid would be going through some situation in life and the dog, Wishbone, would find a classic book that fit the situation and then act out the book.  Yeah, it was pretty sweet....

Report

Just wanted to let you all know how my projects are coming.  First of all, Sam and I have been very good about making dinner and eating at an earlier time.  Next week I'm planning to take pictures of our meal because some people (well at least one that I know of) doubts that I do or know how or can actually cook.  Well, at least she used to.  Also, I've done some sewing.  I made a skirt, a bag (turned out awful), and a carseat tent-cover-thing.  Whatever you want to call it.  A couple of my neighbors recently had babies so it was a gift.  I'm currently washing the fabric for my next project.  AND, I've scrapbooked 5 pages.  Yep, last week was very productive.  Oh, I also worked out quite a bit.  Hopefully this week will be just as busy. 

Pixle Junk Shooter: the sequel

Pixle Junk Shooter is a video game on the PS3.  Sam and Cole love it.  The second one recently came out, so they've been playing it a lot.  When I asked them what I should blog about, that's what they said.  Yes, they were playing it at the time.  I sometimes sit downstairs while they play and look online or read or make cards or whatever.  It's one of the more tolerable video games they play.  Halo is super annoying to watch and I don't love Super Meat Boy.

As for the project ideas, thanks.  Mary Ann, yours is on my list.  And I'm thinking of going to Las Vegas for spring break.  Colorado is far, and I don't quilt but I could watch Isaac...maybe during the summer???

Pixle Junk Shooter

So lately my life is pretty dull.  But I like it!  I'm working way less hours at the fabric store and I love having my afternoons free.  My goals are to clean my house more consistently and to work out more frequently.  And since I tend to eat more when I'm home I think I need to be more pro-active in my hobbies.  If y'all have any project ideas for me...I might take them into consideration.  :)  Oh yeah, I'm also going to try to cook dinner at a more timely hour.  We usually eat pretty late and I don't love it.  I guess those are my resolutions for March...since I didn't post any new year's goals, I figure now is as good a time as ever.

Sam loves his deal sites.  Woot (one of his favorites) does a shirt a day.  This was today's shirt and I thought it was hilarious, so I decided to share it with you.  The theme was "meat."

The Vending Machine

So, here is a story that some of you know, but some of you don't.  Recently I have been asked about this experience by a couple of my siblings, and I thought it would make a pretty good blog post.

When I was about 8 or 9 (we lived in a trailer park), there was a vending machine near the manager's house.  Being the sugar addict that I am, I would often buy candy from the vending machine.  This particular day my brother, John, was tagging along with me and my friend.  He was begging me to buy him something too.  I kept telling him no.  He had his own money.  Why should I buy him candy?!?  When I got to the vending machine, he was still right by my side.  I put my money in, and as I pushed the button of the candy I wanted, he pushed what he wanted too.  And then, a miracle happened.  My candy came out, and so did his.  Wait, it gets better...someone had the idea to push the coin return, and I got my money back. 

We weren't stupid.  We continued putting the money in and pushing as many buttons as we could at the same time, to maximize our buying power.  By this time, my sister Sandy had joined the fun, and another friend, Joey.  (We fondly referred to him as yellow teeth...weren't we so kind?!?)  Within a few minutes, we had the entire vending machine emptied.  Best day of my life!  We divided up the candy and each had a bag full.  I remember walking around the neighborhood living up the moment.  I started my candy binge with one of my least favorite kinds of candy, a nut roll.

Delicious...not.  By the time I was about half way through the candy bar, I started feeling really guilty, along with my sister, Sandy.  (John was apparently void of this feeling at his young age.)  Despite our friends', and brother's utter confusion, we confessed what we'd done to our mother.  She told us we needed to give the candy back and pay for what we had eaten.  We took the candy back to the manager and gave him the money we owed.  Yes, we made the right choice in the end, and yes it felt better than having a whole vending machine's worth of candy. 

Fall Break

Fall break was fantastic this year!  Sam and I went to Washington D.C. to visit my sister and her family, and of course, to see the sights.  My parents went with us, or we went with them, but we bought our tickets first, so they went with us.  It was so much fun!  We did so many things and I loved it.  I won't bore you with too many details, but I'll try to post some pictures...Sam's pictures (I didn't take many myself).  If you ever go to D.C.  I highly recommend going to Mt. Vernon, getting tickets to go up the Washington Monument, and hitting Arlington.  I love the changing of the guard and there are some cool things to see there.  We walked around so much that my legs were sore a couple of the days (and I consider myself to be in pretty good shape).

 There are some pictures for you.  If you'd like to see more you can check out my Dad's blog, or apparently his facebook.  He's much more diligent about getting pictures out than I am.  And just fyi, there was one day we didn't have our cameras because we went to the White House, so yes, you are only getting a taste of what we did.  Also, many places don't allow pictures.  But it was a great vacation and it was so hard to go back to work.  Such is life.  Can't wait for Thanksgiving!

So here is the new kitchen...I love it!  It is almost all the way done, just have to install the dishwasher, get a new light for above the sink, and fix the hinges on one door...you'll see what I mean...

This is the old kitchen...obviously (I hope)

Destruction process...so much fun

New cabinets are in...no molding, handles, or knobs

Finished product...excepting those few things I mentioned at the beginning....Isn't it lovely?!?

Back to Work

Well, the summer is over.  And it has been for a couple of weeks now.  I started working last Monday.  I'm working at a high school...yay!  Probably my favorite age group to work with.  So far the teachers and staff at the school have been great!  Some of the secretaries I've encountered at other schools have been a little bit condescending.  So, I'm liking my new assignment.  Plus I love the high school schedule...minus the getting up early part, but it's worth it to be done so early. 

The summer flew by, as usual.  Seemed to be pretty uneventful.  But we did have some good vacations to California, Colorado, and the Uintas.  Also, we finished painting our whole upstairs...that was really awesome.  Vaulted ceilings are not the most exciting thing to work with when it comes to painting the house.  Love them otherwise. 

The past couple of weeks, Sam has been diligently working on getting our kitchen cabinets made.  I think I helped a lot too, but of course he's put more hours in.  I do know that I could not make cabinetry my profession.  Wow!  The process that they go through to finish cabinets and doors is insane.  You put stain on to wipe it off.  You lacquer and then you sand it off.  You lacquer again and then you sand it again.  You put a glaze on and then you wipe it off.  And, of course, you put another one or two coats of lacquer on.  Very tedious.  Sam's standards relating to cabinets are much higher than mine, so he's made most of the choices for our new kitchen cabinets.  It'll be great when it's all  installed...which should be within the next week.  I'll take some final remodel pictures then.  It'll be really nice...I'm excited.

I'm proud to say that I got some sewing projects finished over the last week of summer break.  Curtains in my living room and a coat I started last October.  Rest at ease, Mom. 

Sunday Evenings

I love Sunday dinner at my mom's house.  Fortunately, I get to eat there with most of my family every other week.  Well, I guess it's only half my family.  But still, a good time.  We usually play a game or two after we're done eating.  Last night we were reminiscing and decided to re-visit our childhood instead of playing games.  Here's what we made...

I'm sure many of you don't know what this is.  You're probably not a Carter.  It's a potato bug house.  Still confused?!? Shocking!  When we were young we made mazes out of legos and put potato bugs in them to see if they could find their way out.  Sounds stupid, I'm sure.  But, it entertained us for hours as children, and for a little while last night.  Not all of my siblings participated in this activity.  I think it was mostly the younger ones.  It was fun to remember how awesomely creative we were as kids!

You bet we found a potato bug and put it in!

Did I mention I cut 13" off my hair a couple weeks ago?  Ugly picture, I know.  But I am loving the short hair.  I forget how nice and easy it is.  Man I look scary in that picture!  (It's the only one I have of my fabulous new hair...this was from the first day too!)

And no, our house is not finished yet.  They've just been mudding and sanding.  Trust me, you're not missing anything without pictures of it.  But, it is looking good and they should be done today.  And then Sam and I get to clean and paint. Yay!  Anyone want to help???