The Carrs

Recent Things...

2012-02-16T12:00:00.001-08:00

It has been a very busy month for us so far and I wanted to post some pictures of things that happened/we did that I did not write posts about.

We had a mammoth snow storm and were snowed in for a few days. This is the view from our front door.

The patriots lost the Super Bowl but that did not stop us from taking some cute pictures during the game.

I have been working on baby projects. I made a cute onsie and a nursing cover. The onsie is going in storage though, because we are having a boy! Thank goodness I made the nursing cover unisex.

We had a wonderful Valentine's day.

Lastly, because I have been walking in the evenings with a friend of mine, Ike and Jackson have had a lot more one on one time. Jackson loves his daddy!

Adventures in Food Storage!

2012-02-12T16:00:00.000-08:00

So I have accumulated a few #10 cans of basic food storage (Thank you mother!) over the last few years and I have decided that it is time I learn to use some of it. Rice is easy enough but wheat is kind of intimidating. I looked up a few easy ideas and Cracked Wheat seemed to be the easiest thing to start with (considering I do not have a wheat grinder). My first attempt to make cracked wheat in my blender turned into slightly gritty flour but my second attempt, I feel, succeeded! I needed to cook it a little longer than the 5 minutes suggested in the recipe but overall I feel like it was a success! I will try to make it a couple of times a week to make our oatmeal last longer. With milk and sugar I thought it tasted about as good. I had a #10 can of Pinto Beans and my first thought was Refried Beans!!! I looooove Mexican food so I found a good recipe and two days later I had some surprisingly yummy and slightly gritty refried beans.

You know you want some.

Top those with the homemade tortillas a I made and we had some delicious Chicken Chimmy Changas for dinner. I am feeling better and better about my food storage and it is no longer the intimidating monster in my cupboard.

You are not so scary!!!

And the winner is...

2012-02-06T12:22:00.000-08:00

BABY BOY!!!

You guessed it ( or maybe you didn't.) and we are having a baby boy! We had our ultrasound today and we are definitely having another little man in the family. Jackson will have an adorable playmate and Ike will have another clone of himself to run around the house and yell "ball!!" whenever there is a commercial for football on TV. Now the only problem I have is what the name will be!!! We like James, John and Joshua and no we are not just going for "J" names, we just happen to like a few of them. I have a feeling there is going to be a coin toss somewhere in our future to help us decide this.

And because I have been lazy this pregnancy I have to apologize for not posting a baby bump photo of me sooner. I took the first one this morning.

Jackson is...

2012-02-01T09:39:00.000-08:00

J : Joyous! He is always happy. Well not always, but pretty much almost always. He didn't even make a fuss when I had to put drops in his eyes for the last five days. He is always ready to smile.

A : Active! Jackson loves to run. He runs in the house, in the yard, in the library and pretty much anywhere else his feet will touch the ground and he has more than five feet of space. He likes to just run in circles in our living room. He is always moving and doing something.

C : Carr! Jackson is a Carr through and through. Sometimes I wonder if he got any of my genes at all. He is the spitting image of his dad when Ike was 2. He has the tell tale Carr cowlick (correction...he has 3 tell tale Carr cowlicks!!!) and he loves loves loves to watch Sports with his daddy. He can even identify the New England Patriots symbol.

K : K is for Kisses. I love to kiss Jackson and he occasionally will give me kisses. He gives kisses like he would bite you but does not close his teeth down. It is always a little scary because you never know if he is going in for a kiss or going in for a bite.

S : Sesame Street! Well, not the entire thing...just Elmo. We usually watch the last 15 minutes of Sesame Street every morning and Jackson is crazy for Elmo. Whenever he sees pictures of Elmo or an Elmo toy in the store he points and tries to get my attention. He would watch hours of Elmo if I let him. Thank goodness he is only on for 15 minutes a day.

O : Outside! This is Jackson's favorite place to be. He always wants to go outside even when it is waaayyyyyyyy too cold for me. When I won't let him out he will stand up on our chair in the living room and try to look out the window. I am counting down the days to summer.

N : NO! and yes. Jackson likes to communicate by shaking his head yes or no. Sometimes I feel like I am playing 20 questions with him trying to figure out what he wants. He is getting much better at saying words in general. (New words he has started saying recently: Jesus, Baby, Chair, Door, Boy and Hat. None of them are pronounced exactly right but we know what he means and we always clap when he says them.)

Jackson is going to be an awesome big brother. He already loves babies and I have no doubt he will love his new baby brother or sister ( FYI 6 days until we know the gender!!!)

Things to do!

2012-01-26T19:43:00.000-08:00

Sewing Projects I will definitely have done before the baby is born:

1. Make nursing pillow. (Half way done with this one project!)

2. Make a few cute nursing covers.

3. Make blessing gown/blessing suit for baby.

Projects I would like to do but don't know if I will have time or budget:

1. Car seat canopy.

2. Cute baby bibs.

3. Cradle bedding. (This one really depends on weather or not I am able to find a cradle at a yard sale or thrift store. I really want one but they are waaaaay too expensive to buy new.)

Projects I will 99% not do because of time, budget, or skill level.

1. Car seat re-cover. (I want to do this one so bad!!!)

2. Cute mobile.

Pretty busy schedule in my future! Now I just have to focus on the non-sewing tasks in my immediate future:
1. Help Jackson get better from his Pink Eye and Ear Infection (Yes, he has both at the same time!)
2. Keep myself from getting Pink Eye.
3. Stay healthy and deliver baby.

Tie Troubles, No More!

2012-01-24T07:17:00.000-08:00

So a while ago I talked about how annoying it was that I couldn't find little boys ties for Jackson to wear to Church. Well my solution to that problem was a tutorial I found where you could turn old adult men's ties into little boys ties. This was great...except I was limited to my husband's old ties that I thought were too ugly to be worn in public anyway. Well I came up with a solution. I used the same idea that the tutorial had except I modified a pattern for a 9-10year old boy's tie and made one for a toddler. Still the same two piece concept but these ones just look so much cleaner and I have thousand's of fabric options because the pattern only takes about 1/4 yard of fabric! (I usually buy 1/2 yard just in case I screw up.) So because of
this new development, I have been making a tie every Saturday for the last three weeks.

You can tell this is the first one I made because I made the mistake of choosing a very white design. I don't think it looks as good against a white shirt, which is what Jackson wears each week.

Notice how this one is shorter and a little wider? I made a second pattern for slightly younger boys because I noticed the first two ties seemed a little long even when they had been adjusted to their shortest possible length.

Happiness Is...

2012-01-21T12:05:00.000-08:00

Happiness is Saturday morning at home.

Best Parent of the Year Award goes to.....Someone else.

2012-01-20T06:55:00.000-08:00

Jackson has been sick the last two days and it seems like when he is sick all my good parenting knowledge goes flying out the window. Is it so bad that pretty much all he has eaten in the last 24 hours is either watered down Gatorade or toast??? Is it so bad that I let him stay in his warm footy pajamas until 2pm? (Is it so bad that I am also in sweats and a bathrobe until 2pm?)Probably. I swear I am trying to be a good mom. We usually have a routine and a clean house and no boogers caked on our faces. But when sickness comes its like I go into survival mode. Jackson won't eat anything but toast? Fine! Feed him toast for every meal! At least he won't be hungry. He won't drink water or Pedialight but loves Gatorade?? Fine! Give it to him!!! FLUIDS!!! So yea, right now I feel like the worlds worst mom but hopefully this too shall pass and in a few days when we are sickness free I can go back to being a responsible human being.

Dye + Old pants= Slightly Newer Pants?

2012-01-17T09:51:00.000-08:00

Money is always tight and I couldn't really justify spending $30 on new maternity pants even though my favorite pair was all faded and had a patch on the inner thigh. Then I had the idea...Try to dye them! I saw something similar on one of my favorite blogs (centsationalgirl.com)and I thought I would give it a try.
Old looking pants :( So sad because they fit so well!

I used RIT dye. $2.25 at Jo-Ann's - I used a 40%off coupon.

Instructions are on the inside of the box. I did the "bucket method".

So after 30 minutes of stirring and then another 30 minutes of rinsing until the water ran clear than washing them twice by themselves just to make sure I got all the dye....

A slightly newer looking pair of jeans!!!! In the future I think if I wanted to do something like this again, I would buy one box of black dye and one box of navy blue than mix just a little black dye in with the navy to give it a slightly darker wash. Overall though very pleased! For less than three dollars I have a pair of jeans I am not embarrassed to wear in public and will hopefully last me through this pregnancy!

Tomatos on my mind.

2012-01-15T18:14:00.000-08:00

I have been wanting to plant a garden ever since Ike and I got married but I have never had the yard space. Finally this year I decided I would try some container gardening. I started some tomato seeds in our glassed in back porch. I don't expect them to grow into anything but it is fun to try :)

If any of them actually sprout I will have to give them names.

Grow my tomato babies...GROW!!!

Let's Start Counting!

2012-01-10T17:40:00.000-08:00

Went in to the doctor's today for my monthly check-up and he gave me the OK to schedule an ultrasound appointment for next month! Ike has school off Feb 6th so that was the day I asked for! This means I can start counting down the days until we find out if we are having a boy are a little girl!!! Little pink tutus and purple hairbows or little trucks and a rough and tumble playmate for Jackson. 27 days! Let the counting down begin!

Decisions, decisions...

Persistence Persistence Persistense

2012-01-05T09:11:00.000-08:00

The Mr. and I got Jackson a little kitchen play set for Christmas and I was expecting something mostly assembled with maybe a sticker here or a screw there to put in. I thought I could have the whole thing up in like 20 minutes and then Jackson could enjoy hours and hours of play kitchen fun. Well when I actually saw the box for the first time I was shocked at how huge it was (Surely a good indicator of a per-assembled product right?... No.)Too bad for me there looked to be about 1000 little pieces shoved inside a nice big box. But in order to fit the kitchen into our car so we could take it home from Ohio, we ended up having to take everything out of the box and put it in trash bags then shove it in all the empty spaces available in our Volkswagen Golf. So we get home from our Christmas adventure and I am pumped to assemble Jackson's present. Too bad for me this is what I had to start with:

But after roughly 8 hours, 70 screws (Really 68 because I had two left over in the end and I don't know where they were supposed to go.)and a bloody hand I had completed a masterpiece! At least that is how I feel.

And best of all, the little man loves it. For $25 I think it was a pretty good deal.

What a Vacation!

2012-01-04T06:29:00.000-08:00

It seems like Ike and I have adopted the tradition from my family of going on vacations not to relax necessarily, but to see family and drive a lot. We just got back from our big Christmas trip and I am exhausted! I am still trying to get my house in order. It was an amazing trip though. There are very few things I love more than spending time with family.

The trip started as most of ours do, with lots of driving. 14 hours from NE to OH.

Then hanging out at Grandma and Grandpa's and playing with all their cool toys.

Opening stockings and presents on Christmas.

Celebrated Ike's birthday...27!!!!!

My awesome brother married the sweetest most beautiful girl, Kara, in the Columbus, Ohio Temple.

We went to visit Ike's brother, Abe, his wife Ashley and their adorable little boy, Joseph. We got to drive around where they live in Virginia and see some beautiful waterfalls, pretty landscapes and outrageously huge homes.

Then we finished our trip with some more driving.
Although our bank account is a bit smaller and we are all exhausted and don't want to sit in our car again for as long as possible, this trip was amazing and I loved every minute of it.

My Tie Troubles.

2011-12-20T09:12:00.000-08:00

So my brother is getting married on the 28th and Ike and I wanted to get Jackson a new white shirt and tie to wear to the wedding. The color we were going for was something in the maroon family. We thought that because it was Christmas time we would be able to find something right??? WRONG!!!! After hours ( and I do mean hooooouuuurrrsss) of shopping we found nothing in his size and especially nothing with a tie included. Lots of sweater vests and blue/black/grey/yellow/red shirts but no white shirts with ties! I did not want to spend $25 dollars on a little suit with a colored shirt when we wanted to use this for his church shirt too. So after re-bleaching his old white shirt for the millionth time I decided I would just have to make him a tie. I found a great tutorial here(http://helpinglittlehands.blogspot.com/2009/10/make-your-own-baby-ties-with-optional.html). When Ike and I first got married I went through his ties and separated some into an "unwearable" pile. These were ties that I felt were too stained, old, frayed or just too ugly to wear to church or work. I dug through the ties and found two that I thought would be salvageable. My first attempt produced this yellow tie:

Not bad for a first try right?

I liked this tutorial because the tie is actually in two pieces. The neck strap and the tie itself. You can adjust the length just like an adult tie depending on how you tie it.

Instead of using elastic like the tutorial shows, I did Velcro for my neck strap.

Overall I was pleased with the yellow tie but not completely satisfied. I did not like how narrow the tie is (in the tutorial you use the narrow end of the tie) so I decided to make another with a few changes. I picked a tie that was a little more narrow and I took it in a little more to make it even skinnier. Then I did the same steps but I used the regular end of the tie instead of the narrow end and I think the results are much better! I tied the tie a little long so I will need to go back and retie it a little shorter.

I think I would be fine if Jackson wore either of these ties to church and the silver one should work for my brother's wedding. I saw some toddler ties on amazon but they wanted around $22 for one tie. I made both of these for $0.00. CAN I GET AN AMEN?!!?! So yea, I feel pretty good about Jackson's tie situation now.

Baby Belly Update

2011-12-18T19:06:00.000-08:00

So I think I am at the point where I look pregnant. At least that is what I am telling myself and it is helping me justify all the maternity clothes I wear. I wish all my pants had elastic waists. It is just so comfortable. I am out of my first Trimester and I have not felt sick in about two weeks. All I can say is, "FINALLY!!!!". I was never half as sick with Jackson as I have been with this baby and it is so nice to be able to stomach more than just oatmeal. Today I had chicken with buffalo sauce and it was amazing! If you had offered it to me a month ago I would have had to run to the bathroom just thinking about it. I am 14 weeks according to the ultrasound I had about a month ago. They put me a week behind what I thought I was according to the first day of my last period. The baby is about the size of a lemon. Still no movement. I am hoping for a smooth second trimester. With Jackson I started to get heart burn around this time so I am keeping an eye (throat?) out for that. We find out if we are having a boy or girl in February. The hardest thing lately is that I am so tired. I am constantly exhausted and I think I could sleep 14 hours a night and take a nap during the day if I could. Hopefully I'll get a burst of energy now that I am in my second trimester???

I assume my baby looks something like this right about now.

I JUST CAN'T STOP!!!

2011-12-10T18:41:00.000-08:00

So I might be addicted to making these baby shoes. They are so cute and easy to make!!!! I do need to pick up some fuseable interfacing to make them stiffer and I need to work on being more careful when I sew around the toes so that it can have a nicer curve. This pair I was too sloppy and you can tell. Other than that I think they are ADORABLE!!!!!!!

Craftastic!

2011-12-10T08:27:00.001-08:00

So I have been in a pretty crafty mood lately but I haven't had a ton of money to spend on random supplies to I have been using whatever I have at home. I still have a few things I need to sew before I leave for Christmas but this is just what I have done in the last week.

Fur hat! I took a tweed-ish blazer that someone had given me in a box of clothes and an old fur wrap to make this hat. The hat is fur lined with pink buttons holding the ear flaps up and a pink crochet flower for prettiness. This hat didn't turn out as good as I was hoping. I have never worked with real animal hide before and I have discovered that it is my mortal enemy. I broke way too many needles making this hat. The tweed is a little crooked in the front too. Overall its turned out OK.

Please ignore how crazy I look in this picture. It was late at night when I finished the hat and I really should have waited until the next day to model it and take pictures.

I found a free pattern online for some baby shoes and I made two different pairs. The first pair is the one with the button closure but I thought they looked like elf shoes so I modified the pattern a little and that is how the purple ones came to be.

I like this pair so much better than the other ones.

Finally my favorite thing I made this week was this headband!

I got the idea from this Etsy seller: http://www.etsy.com/listing/59639601/comic-book-headband-pow-peacock-green?ref=sr_gallery_12&ga_search_query=pow+headband&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_category=accessories.hair&ga_facet=
But I actually like my version better and mine is free!! She charges $23 for hers.

So overall I feel that my week has been very productive in the craft arena. In the housekeeping arena, not so much.

He sees you when you're sleeping...He knows when you're awake...

2011-12-09T07:06:00.000-08:00

So I can understand how Santa can be terrifying to little kids. Jackson had literally never seen any human being that looked even remotely like Santa in his life. I wouldn't be surprised if he thought Santa was some red, silky bearded animal or something. Jackson saw Santa for the first time about a week ago and the minute I tried to sit him on Santa's lap, he freaked out. I haven't seen him that scared in a long time. He managed to sit for a picture with me kneeling next to Santa and him on my lap. Maybe next year.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

2011-12-03T10:00:00.000-08:00

Today we got our first snow! Besides the fact that no one plows the roads in Fullerton and we are practically stranded here until they do, we are having a great time! Jackson and I went outside today and he got to experience his first real snow. He loved it! He actually cried when I took him in the house. We also built his first snowman(More like I built it while he kept trying to knock it down). It finally really feels like Christmas! What is Christmas with no snow???

Jackson discovers snow.

Our first snowman.

T-24 Days until Christmas!!!!

2011-12-01T06:47:00.000-08:00

CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So Christmas is amazing for tons of reasons: Celebrating the Birth of The Savior, spending time with family, the joy of giving gifts, setting up decorations and eating eating eating until you feel 5 months pregnant. Its all just awesome! In my family growing up we always made Christmas lists sometime around October. That way whoever was getting our gifts for us had a general idea of what we wanted. No one had to get you something on your list, it was just a jumping off point. It is always fun when making a list to put on a few things that you know you would never get but it is nice to see them on paper anyway.(My mom still asks for a pony.) I made and posted my Christmas list on facebook a while ago but I wanted to put up my top three "probably won't get but still want them" things for Christmas.

1. Bernina 350PE Sewing Machine

GAHHHH!!!!! It is like looking at the sun because it is so beautiful. Not only does this machine have more stitch functions than I could ever use but it has the most beautiful automatic buttonhole foot I have ever seen. Too bad it costs around $3000. This machine will probably stay on my list for a few more years until the next best model comes out.

2. An Automatic Car

It doesn't have to be this exact car. I just want an automatic car that seats around 7 people. We will have to get one eventually when we have too many kids to fit in our Volkswagen Golf. I just hate that we have a stick shift. I know I need to learn to drive it but I just don't like it!!!! I would so much rather just get an automatic. At least I know we will get one eventually.

3. A Dream House!

So I am kind of obsessed with older houses with front porches. We probably won't buy a house for another 4-5 years but when we do I really really really really really want a front porch. We will probably buy a fixer-upper. (Remember the house in It's a Wonderful Life? That is what we are looking for.) Like the car I know that we will buy a house eventually but not this year and definitely not new.

So there you have it. Three things on my list that Santa will not be putting under my tree this year but I will continue to ask for every year until I either have them or I am dead. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! What do you guys want that you probably won't get but you still like to ask for?

Me with Santa when I was 5 or 6.

Lazin' Around the Christmas Tree

2011-11-28T05:43:00.000-08:00

Nothing says "The Holidays" to me like wearing a bathrobe 24/7. We set up our Christmas tree on Saturday and it really makes me feel like Christmas is here.

Bun in the Oven!

2011-11-25T14:27:00.000-08:00

And no I do not mean delicious cinnamon buns...although those do sound yummy. Ike and I are on our way from growing from a family of three to a family of four. We had an ultrasound and they even printed out a picture of the little guy...or girl. He was a dancing machine while they were doing the ultrasound so I think that this child must take after Ike seeing as he has all the moves.

Hey little baby!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T15:30:00.000-08:00

Some people say less is more. But I say More is More! Especially when Holiday food is involved. Ike and I stayed home this year so it was just us and Jackson at our table but I made enough food for about 8 fat adults. Why? LEFT-OVERS!!!! I want to be eating this dinner for another week. Overall the entire meal was a complete success. I have never had a moister (is that a word?) turkey. I am officially a convert to the Turkey Brine. I will forever brine my turkeys from this day forth. Jackson ate nothing but pumpkin pie and Jello (which turned out lovely by the way) which usually I would not be OK with but hey, it's Thanksgiving!!! How else can I consume 10,000 calories in one meal and not feel like shooting myself in the face? The only thing that would have made this Thanksgiving better would have been if we could have spent it with some family. Next year we will be in Vermont and I am already counting down the days.

I believe the words you are looking for are, "HOLY CRAPOLA! THAT IS A BEAUTIFUL BIRD!".

See the Jello in the background? So pretty delicious!

Hot Hot Hat

2011-11-20T18:08:00.000-08:00

So I was playing with some extra yarn yesterday and I came up with this cute baby hat. I don't have a daughter but hopefully I will have one someday and when she is born she can wear this adorable hat.

The bear models the hat nicely, no?

Winter Travel, Nebraska Style.

2011-11-17T11:00:00.000-08:00

The weather is cold now and that means we bundle up when we leave our house.

Step 1. The Telly Tubby-esc fleece jump suit. Easily worn over long sleeved shirt and jeans.

Step 2. The Heavy Duty winter coat. (Best if supplied by Grandma to reduce over all costs.)

Step 3. Add beanie and activate mitten hands ( A nice feature of the Telly Tubby suit.)

Step 4. Place in Stroller and add 2 or more blankets. Tuck in the feet.

Now You are ready to leave your house. Another option that will come in handy in a month or two will be adding a layer of snow pants between steps 1 and 2.

For the Adults, thermal underwear will soon be more of a priority than food.

Talk TurkeyTo Me, Baby!

2011-11-14T05:44:00.000-08:00

Is anyone else counting down the days until Thanksgiving?!? So here is my tentative turkey day menu:

1. Brined and Roasted Turkey (recipe from marthastewart.com)
2. Traditional Mashed Potatos (We're talking butter, salt, more butter and maybe some sour cream.)
3. Green Bean Casserole
4. Turkey Stuffing
5. Roasted Carrots (Roasted in the pan with the turkey)
6. Homemade Dinner Rolls
7. Jello Salad (Jello,fruit and whipped cream in a jello mold to add prettiness to my table.)
8. Pumpkin Pie for desert.

The biggest challenge I have here is that I want to do this whole dinner for $25 or less. I already have a lot of the ingredients I will need and I am making everything I can from scratch. I think I can do it! I will let you all know if I stay in my budget!!!

I have only done two other turkey dinners in the past and one of them gave me horrible food poisoning for two days. My success rate is not great. Pray for me.

This will not be me!

My Family Is So Cute!

2011-11-10T12:30:00.000-08:00

This was just a cute scene in my living room the other night. Ike wasn't feeling good so he had the bed couch pulled out and was watching a movie and Jackson wanted in on the action.

Just too cute.

Little Big Man

2011-11-10T12:17:00.000-08:00

Jackson is growing up. One of Ike's coworkers gave us a really good (like practically free) deal on a toddler bed.

We only had one crib sheet (I know we should have more but I always just washed the one he had when he wasn't sleeping in it.) so I took a twin top sheet that we don't use and made a new crib fitted sheet and even had enough fabric left for a pillowcase.

So today for the first time Jackson took his nap in his new bed. I actually had to wake him up because he was on his way to taking a three hour nap.

Where has the time gone? How is Jackson already 18 months? How am I going to be 24 on my next birthday? Time apparently flies when you are tired and stressed from raising a very active toddler.

These are a Few of My Favorite Things!

2011-11-04T15:38:00.001-07:00

Today I feel like writing about the things I love most. I am focusing on THINGS and not people. Obviously my awesome husband and baby would top the list of favorite people but today its all about the material things.

1. Frito Pies!
It might just be because I had one for Lunch and Dinner or it might be because they are amazing but either way I love frito pies. Whats not to like? The chips, cheese, chilli, sour cream...just thinking about them makes me want to have a third bowl...can my stomach take it? I guess I will have to find out.

2. Bathrobes.
Nothing says warm and comfy like a bathrobe...except maybe a snuggy but bathrobes are way more classy. Bathrobes have a special place in my heart, especially ones made by my mother.

3. JoAnn Fabrics. My favorite store. I could spend hours and hours just looking at everything. This store literally has everything I want in it. (Christmas is coming....just saying.) I would be willing to push over an old lady to get in there when patterns are on sale for $.99! Who can resist the 40%off coupons? Jo Ann is like my very expensive and money sucking best friend.

4. Young Adult Fiction.
Yes I have a weak spot for Jacob black and Harry Potter but cut me some slack. Is it so bad if I don't want to read this week's New York Time's best seller and would rather curl up to a juicy teenage thriller? Pulitzer...schmulitzer, I have Twilight.

5. Crafting.
Who doesn't love making something out of nothing. Sometimes as a stay at home mom it is pretty easy to feel like I am not doing anything with my life (I know its not true don't worry!) but making some kind of pretty craft I can display in my home always makes me feel good and worth while.

I do like more things than just what is on this list but these were at the forefront of my mind today.

Harry Halloween!

2011-11-01T05:38:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!

So I recycled Jackson's costume from last year because the one I made for this year looked stupid. Luckily, I must have sewed last year's costume way too big because it fit him perfectly this time around!

He had the glasses but he did not like to wear them. I guess I wouldn't want to wear felt strapped to my face either so I can't blame him.

I love Kate.

2011-10-30T17:07:00.000-07:00

Ok so you know how some people have celebrities that they absolutely idolize and want to be like? *cough...Tom Brady...cough cough...IKE..* Anyway, I have never really had a person like that...UNTIL THIS YEAR! Yes I will admit, I woke up at 4am to watch as much of the Royal wedding as I could before I had to go to work. Yes, I curl my hair to try to look like her. Ok I'll admit it... I absolutely love Kate Middleton. She is just so stylish and chic looking! So my brother Jared is getting married this Christmas and I want to make a dress for the wedding. I saw this picture of Kate and KNEW that I had to have a dress like this one!

I know right?! Beautiful and chic and just lovely!!!
Unfortunately Jared and Kara's colors do not include Navy blue so I will be trying to remake this in a maroonish color. I also don't think I will do a different colored base fabric under the lace. I will probably just do two fabrics of the same color. Either way are you swooning?! I am.

love love love.

Pumpkin Carving, Carr Style!

2011-10-28T17:31:00.001-07:00

We had a lot of fun carving our Halloween pumpkin this year.

This year's theme: The New England Patriots!

I had to be very focused when I traced the logo onto our pumpkin.

Jackson and Ike both did their part!

The final product! As Ike would say, "Beautiful!"

Why I Don't Put Nice Things on My Table

2011-10-24T06:03:00.000-07:00

A lady at church was giving away all these little mini pumpkins and I thought they would look cute on our dining room table. I should have known better. Silly me for thinking anything nice on our dining room table would stay untouched.

Note the new shoes. He has been wearing them non-stop since we got them from the store.

Just like Daddy!

2011-10-24T05:59:00.000-07:00

Jackson wants to do exactly what Ike and I do. He wants to eat with a big person fork an drink out of a big cup. He tries to do exactly what we do (which makes me nervous...I don't want my son to get into the habit of wearing a bathrobe ten hours a day and eating chocolate chips from the bag.) This week Jackson found Ike's book bag and insisted on wearing it around the house.

Anyone Have Salsa?

2011-10-19T05:47:00.000-07:00

...Because we have the chips! On Saturday, Jackson banged his teeth on a metal bar at the park and chipped his two front teeth. I am going to the dentist next Thursday and they said I could bring him along just so the Dentist can have a quick look at him.

You really can't tell unless you are looking closely.

At least they were his baby teeth.

18 Months

2011-10-16T13:24:00.000-07:00

I can't believe Jackson is really 18 months. It seems like I just took him home from the hospital last week.

It seems like over night, he went from this:

To This:

I kind of miss his younger and less sticky days.

Favorite Places: The Park

2011-10-14T13:10:00.000-07:00

The weather is getting colder and I don't know how many more trips to the park Jackson and I are going to be able to take. Today was chilly and windy and even with my jacket I felt a little cold.
Our favorite thing? SLIDES!!!

Checking out the distance...terrifying right?

WRONG! Jackson is fearless.

Jackson laughs in the face of fear...or in this case, at the back of fear.

Face first down a tube slide?! Give him a medal.

One small step for Jackson...is one small step for Jackson.

Park, we will miss you when you are covered in snow but we will be hiding in our house under 10 layers of clothing slowly burning all of our wooden furniture for heat in an attempt to lower our gas bill.

Out with the old...

2011-10-12T12:50:00.000-07:00

One of Ike's coworkers was getting rid of some clothes she didn't want and because I will take just about anything if it is free, I agreed to look through them. Lots of them are going to end up at good will but there were a few pieces that had potential!

1. The Mumu:

Can you smell the prune juice?

I decided that I liked the print and the fabric so I took in the side seams, got rid of the nasty sleeves,adjusted the granny collar, shortened it by a few inches and cinched the waist with a cute belt. The result:

No sleeves so it either needs a shirt underneath or, like I did last night, a cute jacket. I am pleased.

2.Ugly Dress:

This picture was taken after I just cut roughly 8" from the bottom. Gross right?
So With this one I took some of the fabric I cut from the bottom and put a ruffle around the collar, lowered the neckline and then hemmed. Also cinched in with the ever important belt.

This dress also looks cute with a jacket!

More before and afters to come!

Failure= Oppertuniy for Growth!!!

2011-10-11T19:14:00.001-07:00

Sometimes I feel like the things I am worst at are the things I wish I was the best at. One of Ike's coworker's mother passed away and I really wanted to make her a loaf of cinnamon bread. I worked on this bread for over three hours this morning (mixing, rising, adding cinnamon, rising, baking, etc.) and when the timer went off and I took the pan out of the oven do you know what I got?

And don't be confused by it's appearance in resemblance to its close cousin:

So my bread was a loaf of slightly cinnamony brick. At first I was really sad...but then I had a few things come to mind:

1. KEEP MOVING FORWARD! A line from the movie Meet the Robinsons.

2. President Uchtdorf's talk about the Forget Me Not and how he said that even people who seem perfect are not!

3. My and Ike's favorite Tom Brady quote, "It's gonna' be a great comeback guys!"

So as these thoughts went through my head I realized I may stink at making bread now but someday I am going to be the best bread-maker ever!!! I WILL OVERCOME!

Chillin' with the Fam.

2011-10-11T19:09:00.000-07:00

My family loves me. Do you know how I know this? My parents and two of my sisters drove 14 hours from Ohio to Nebraska then drove 14 hours back just to spend less than 48 hours with us! I think they should get some kind of gold star or blue ribbon or something. It was the best weekend ever.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

2011-10-10T17:44:00.001-07:00

Every day we are getting closer and closer to Halloween. I love the Holiday season. I am not the kind of person who gets annoyed when they see half of Wal-Mart decked out in Christmas decorations by October first. If it were up to me, I would keep my Christmas tree up all year. I can feel the Holidays coming and it makes me so happy!!! First up Halloween! Lets start thinking about costumes.

Favorite Places: The Post Office

2011-10-05T08:04:00.001-07:00

One thing I love about Fullerton is that practically everywhere I want to go, I can get to by walking. Every morning, usually before noon, Jackson and I walk to the Post Office.

The first two blocks of our walk, we usually have the company of Flatear the cat.

Jackson likes to climb the stairs all by himself.

Jackson likes to try to open all the boxes.

I usually end of carrying Jackson some of the way home.

And who is waiting for us when we get home?! Flatear!

Just Another Manic...Tuesday.

2011-10-04T19:35:00.001-07:00

So I know a lot of people don't like Mondays but I think Tuesday is the absolute worst day of the week. WORST!!!! Monday is fine because you have all the excitement for a new week and you are well rested from the weekend. Tuesday you have nothing!!! All the excitement for a new week is gone and you still have forever until the weekend. Tuesdays drag. So today to get myself out of the Tuesday slump, Jackson and I made ourselves a treat. Maybe I will make it a thing and call it "Tasty Treat Tuesday" or something to make me not feel so bad for gorging on sweets every Tuesday. We made brownies today and they were so good. For all of my fellow Tuesday haters, try a brownie and it will brighten your day!

Does this make me a bad mother? If you say "No" I will give you a brownie.

YUM YUM YUM

Tuesday Schmoozday. We have brownies.

No Place Like Home

2011-10-04T19:19:00.001-07:00

Cousins!!!!!

So I went home for a week to see Jessica and Regan's new son Sasha (Alexander) and it was awesome. There are a few things I love about being home.
1. Unlimited food. Not cheap food either. For the time I am there I am able to relinquish my diet of poor college kid food (that we are still eating despite graduating from college) and gorge on good food in my parent's kitchen. Captain Crunch Cereal...need I say more?
2. Being a kid again! Yes I had Jackson with me so I still had some responsibilities but it is so nice to be with my sisters and and just feel like one of the kids.
3. Driving an automatic car! I really can't stand our car but I think the only reason that is is because I really don't know how to drive it. It is a stick shift and I don't know how. Whenever I tell people I don't drive our car I always get the same answer, "Just learn to drive a stick."! Well maybe I don't want to drive a stick shift!!!!!! Anyway whenever I go home I get to drive their cars and thank goodness they are all automatics.
4. Hanging out with my sisters and brother! I kind of mentioned this in #2 but I absolutely love hanging out with my sisters!!!! Jared was there for a little while and it was awesome but there is nothing like hangin' out with the sisters!!!

Anyway it was amazing and we threw possibly the coolest babyshower known to man. It was all dinosaur themed and it was amazing. I really hope Alexander ends up liking Dinosaurs because if not he will still be stuck with a TON of Dino-themed toys/clothes/blankets!

Do you love the Dino foot prints leading to our sun room? You better because Grandma and I spent the better part of an hour cutting them out!

Hairy Squishy Cookies...yum.

2011-09-14T05:35:00.000-07:00

So last night was the book club at the library and I had volunteered to bring some cookies. I made no-bake cookies which are usually really delicious but for some reason they turned all melty and had to be picked apart from each other and then a friend of mine found one of my hairs in one. To make it worse I was the only one who brought any treats so they were the ONLY refreshments. I learned my lesson. Next time don't volunteer to bring treats unless you know like 10 other people are bringing them too then go to the store and buy something. On the plus side. The book we read was The Help and it was amazing. I highly recommend it...just not with my cookies.

What exactly is a "Cornhusker"?

2011-09-11T12:24:00.000-07:00

So Ike and I are officially moved in to our new home in the great state of Nebraska. We are renting a cute little two bedroom house in an even cuter little town. Fullerton only has about 1200 people. We are the only Mormons in the whole town, which is a huge change compared to Provo, but everyone has been really nice! Jackson is doing really well. Ike is teaching at the High School and we have had the opportunity to go to some of the sporting events. It gets us out of the house and it is free! So far we have been to two Football games and a volleyball game. Ike is also helping coach Junior High Football. We are loving it.

April is the Greatest Month of the Year!

2011-04-01T06:50:00.001-07:00

No surprise that I love this month. I was named for it after all. There are three things I am really looking forward to this month.
1. My birthday!!! I will be the big 23 on April 14th and how much cooler can you get!?

This is me in my mom's arms April 14th 1988
2. Jackson's Birthday!!! Jackson is turning one on April 15th and I will get to remember all that labor and delivery goodness again!

Jackson in my arms April 15th 2010
3. Ike and I graduate from BYU! Yes! The thing I have been working towards for the past four years!!!

I did not have a picture of me graduating because it hasn't happened yet but this is a good picture of me and how I like to spend my time on campus.

April is the best month of the Year.

Pants

2011-03-18T08:49:00.000-07:00

There are certain things that I really like to see on kids and pants is one of them. I don't know what it is but there is nothing cuter to me than a little boy in pants.

accessories accessories accessories.

2011-02-26T18:36:00.000-08:00

Sometimes in my mind I imagine that I am a lot better at things than I really am. When my sister and I were going to make hair clips I though mine would be boutique worthy. Maybe they are...if the boutique is run by Goodwill. Anywhoo, at least they are colorful!

Pore Strips

2011-02-23T08:00:00.000-08:00

So my sister Joanna came to stay with us for President's Day weekend and we had some fun girl time. We made homemade pore strips.

Because these pore strips are possibly the coolest thing I have learned to do this year I am sharing the recipe with everyone!

You need:
1 tablespoon of unflavored gelatin (if it comes in packets then each packet is about a tablespoon)
1 tablespoon of milk

Mix the milk and the gelatin until it is a paste then microwave it for 10 seconds. When it comes out it will be goo. Now you are ready to spread it on your nose or anywhere where you feel like you have blackheads or dead skin! The thinner you spread it the more painful it is to remove but the better it works. It takes about ten minutes for it to dry. When it is dry you can just peel it off!

Looks Gross and smells sort of like tapioca...but it works!!!

A blow dryer helps it harden faster and also makes you feel like a model.

Now you are ready to peel!

Like Father Like Son

2011-02-22T17:03:00.000-08:00

Every day I realize more and more that Jackson is pretty much a tiny version if Ike.

Valentine

2011-02-15T06:21:00.001-08:00

Last night we were a party of three! Jackson joined us on our Valentine's date. We all went to Tucanos. It was amazing!!! When Ike came home from work he had flowers, chocolates and the sweetest card for me. Then it was off to dinner! Jackson ate fruit and peas but I had delicious grilled Brazilian meats!!! After we stuffed ourselves we went to the mall where Ike gave me my last Valentine's gift, a pair new shoes! I got to pick out whatever pair I wanted! It was an awesome valentine's gift. Then we went home and had a slumber party in the living room and watched Eclipse (Don't judge us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!). Not gonna lie, Team Jacob all the way. This morning I had the chocolate cake for breakfast that we bought to have for desert during the movie but were still too stuffed to eat! Overall rating for this year's Valentine's day: 10!!!! It was awesome!

Valentine's family photo

Jackson flying and Ike trying to catch him...or Ike throwing him in the air...

Valentine's shoes!

...and the winner is....NEBRASKA!

2011-02-11T19:59:00.000-08:00

So the verdict is in and the Carrs are officially moving to Nebraska! We got a job with Fullerton Public Schools in Fullerton, NE. The town of Fullerton is really small but really cute! We drove out this week to see the school and the town. I realized on the way back why will absolutely never never NEVER live in Wyoming. We ended up getting stranded for two nights there because of snow storms. The first night we actually slept in the cab of two truckers who took pity on us after we got stranded at a rest area when I-80 was closed!

This is what the weather looked like when we got to the rest area.

Ike outside of the rest area where we stayed the night.

Inside the truck that we slept in!

Me inside the truck.

This was our view from outside our window in the cheap and somewhat scary Motel we stayed in our second night in Wyoming. The town of Wampsutter consists of a gas station and two motels, both of which were kind of gross looking.

Bathroom of the scary Motel.

So overall the trip that only should have taken two days ended up taking four. When we got home though we had a message on our answering machine from the Principal of the school and when Ike called him back he got offered the job. Opposition in all things right? We will probably move in July and school will start in August. I am more excited than I can really put into words.

Have I mentioned recently how awesome my family is? They are awesome.

Cute or Strange?

2011-02-03T10:10:00.000-08:00

So Jackson has been carrying around this trash bag and the remote for the last hour. Not sure if I think it is cute or if it is strange. For a 10 month old he has a strong personality. I think he may look exactly like Ike but I think he has my brains...minus the whole carrying around a trash bag thing.

February!

2011-02-01T08:11:00.001-08:00

I can't believe how fast January went by. I was hoping it would get warmer but that does not seem to be happening. Anyway now that it is February the ball is really rolling! Valentine's day is just around the corner and then we just have to make it through March. After March though all kinds of great stuff happens! My birthday, Jackson's birthday and Graduation!!! So to celebrate the beginning of the end of the semester, Jackson and I had a photo shoot today!

I know he will hate me when I eventually show these pictures to his future wife and children but for right now he is too cute!
FYI dressing up Jackson might be one of my favorite things ever. Favorite costume to date was his Harry Potter Halloween costume. I think it is my favorite costume I have ever made.

The Waiting Game!

2011-01-28T08:38:00.001-08:00

So this week my little family accomplished two huge milestones. The first is that we applied for our first real job! Ike and I are both graduating in April and we have started our job hunt for next fall! We applied for a job in the tiny town of Fullerton, Nebraska. If you had asked me two months ago if I would consider living in Nebraska, I probably would have said no. But when we saw this job and did some research on the town I just fell in love with it. I am really trying to not get my hopes up though because who knows if we will get it. I think this will probably be the first of many jobs we apply for. Right now all we can do is wait to hear back from them. Hopefully we will hear sooner rather than later.

The second major milestone we reached this week was....WE BOUGHT OUR FIRST VACUUM CLEANER!! Yes, it is kind of sad that we have been married almost three years and have never bought a vacuum but now that we have one I know that we can never live without one again!!! I think the novelty will wear off sometime in the next few weeks but for right now I feel like a ten year old who just got the coolest toy ever for Christmas.

The Remote

2011-01-23T17:44:00.000-08:00

So its funny what kids will attach themselves to. Jackson has always liked getting into things he isn't supposed to but lately I have noticed he has a weird attachment to our remote control for our TV. He carries it around and has even gone to bed with it a few times. I think this is funny because I try really hard to not have the TV on while Jackson is awake so he doesn't see me or Ike use it that much. For some reason though, he really loves it.

Best Friends.

I wish I was awesome at everything!!!

2011-01-18T12:25:00.000-08:00

So I see other people do these awesome things and I want to do them too. I wonder is it better to be really good at one thing or just OK at fifty things??? Anyway I am slowly trying to be good at lots of things. This weekend I made one of those crocheted headbands everyone is wearing for my sister for her birthday. I learned to crochet a few months ago and after watching about an hours worth of YouTube videos I learned how to do flowers. Here is the end product!

So Christmas...

2011-01-18T06:44:00.000-08:00

I realized this morning that I never really talked about Christmas. This probably didn't seem really weird to anyone else because I didn't really talk about any thing in 2010. But in light of me trying to be better at blogging in general I think I should talk about it because it was a major event. Jackson's first Christmas!

I made Jackson a Christmas Stocking and hopefully before next Christmas I will make them for Ike and me as well. His looks a lot like the kind I had growing up that my Grandma gave us. My mom wouldn't let me keep it when I moved out because she wanted the complete set. Crazy.

We really didn't get Jackson much for Christmas because so many other family members were getting him things and when a kid is less than one he really doesn't need that much. He already has way too many toys.

Oh Christmas Tree!

Ike the ultimate Boston Sports fan got a new Patriots T-shirt!

The last time I made a turkey I successfully gave myself the worst food poisoning I had ever had. Luckily, this year, we were all fine!

Overall it really was a great Christmas! Jackson's first and only one we will spend in our little apartment!

Gentle is as gentle does...

2011-01-14T11:18:00.000-08:00

So I am really trying to teach Jackson to understand the word "gentle". I watch a friend of mine's baby twice a week and Jackson gets so excited by the fact that there is another baby around that he tends to overreact a bit.

Doing great. Nice and gentle.

Still Good!

...Not Quite.

We still have a little ways to go with that before he gets the hang of it. I do think it is good that he is around another baby twice a week. I want him to socialize more. I have a feeling he is going to be one of those kids in nursery who tackles other children and has to be sent back to his mother.

So Stylish!

2011-01-13T07:08:00.000-08:00

So Jackson had his first real haircut a few days ago.

Hist bangs were getting way too long so I decided to just give him a trim. He really did not like the experience but he looked cute when he was done.

The next day I ended up just going over his whole head with clippers, which surprisingly, he thought were really fun. Now I know, ditch the scissors and use the clippers next time.

You're older than you've ever been and now you're getting older and now you're older still..

2011-01-11T12:51:00.000-08:00

So every day Jackson does something new that makes me realize how fast he is growing up. Two days ago Ike and I were wondering out loud when he would start to pick up food and feed himself. He could pick up things with his whole hand but not with just his fingers. Yesterday out of the blue he reached over to some banana crunchy puffs that spilled on the carpet and just started picking them up and eating them. He must have eaten close to thirty in a row. It was awesome. It is so cold right now. Even though we keep our thermos set at 70 degrees all the time I feel freezing if I am not wearing a bathrobe around the house over my clothes. I may look frumpy but I feel warm. On Mondays and Wednesdays I watch a friend of mine's baby while she and her husband are in class. I realized this past Monday that the next skill I need to try to teach Jackson is to be gentle. He is about twice the size of the other baby and a hundred times more excited to see him. He likes to crawl as fast as he can toward him and kind of tackle him with a hug. Jackson is in seventh heaven but I think it will give the other kid a heart attack if I don't figure out how to calm him down. He really loves being around other kids. I wish we could start looking for jobs right now. But we have to wait a little bit while Ike gets his Student Teaching underway. I guess what I should say is, "I wish we could start applying for jobs right now." because I sure do a lot of looking.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-07T16:13:00.000-08:00

Can't believe 2010 is over and done! Christmas and New Year's were busy but great. Christmas was nice because we did absolutely nothing...except eat a huge turkey and watch movies. It was so nice. Jackson has changed so much in these past nine months. Every day I see him do something new and I realize that I really need to get on the ball about teaching him things because he is learning so fast! Ike is student teaching, which is awesome for two reasons: 1. He is getting valuable teaching experience that will no doubt help him find a job. 2. He looks so nice every day! Teacher clothes = cute clothes. So now that I am almost a full time mom I thought I would have tons of time on my hands...wrong. Jackson keeps me so busy! He moves so fast and always wants to play. I have found That I have three hours during the day ( during his naps) that I can get things done for myself. I have realized that I can't do everything but If I can do a few things every day I feel good about myself:

1. Take a shower! This is sort of pathetic that I have to put this on a list to do it but you would be surprised how fast this one gets bumped to the back of the list when you have a million other things to do.

2. Work out for 30 minutes! So I think like 99% of other new moms I am really missing my old pre-baby body. But, even if I am not totally happy with what I have at least I am doing something so I can't beat myself up too much! I have these Susan Powter videos from the 90's that are actually really awesome and I do one a day while Jackson takes his 1pm nap. Dorky, yes. But chunky, hopefully not for much longer!

3. Clean one thing! So maybe I will have time throughout the day to clean more than one thing but even if I only clean one thing I know that I accomplished that thing and I feel good! Today I re-organized the pots and pans cupboard and yesterday I cleaned the key board on our computer.

4. Play with Jackson! I never regret playing with him and he is so cute it is hard not to enjoy singing patty cake over and over for an hour.

So there are lots of other things I do that make me feel good like trying to get my scriptures read, saying prayers, putting on makeup, doing something nice for Ike, going on a walk, sewing, etc. But I really try to get those four things done every day and when I do I feel like I have really had a productive day! Lets make it through the next three months, OK? life is usy busy busy but sooooooooooooooooooo good.

Mom with Jackson: Less than a week old.

All of us on Ike's Birthday (Dec.26th). Jackson is 8 months old!

No update. Just a fresh start.

2010-08-19T21:50:00.000-07:00

So, rather than try to update you on the last eight months of my life, I have simply chosen to start fresh. My last post mentioned that I was six months pregnant. Well, that six month fetus is now a four month old baby! He is ridiculously cute. Ike has been out of town this week. This week has been an interesting one. I locked myself out of the apartment and after trying for a half hour to get a hold of the manager I resorted to popping the screen out of our living room window and jimmying it open. I was able to climb through and unlock the living room door. Thank goodness Jackson was with me when I locked myself out. I think I would have been totally panicking if he was in the house and I was locked out. I think I stayed pretty calm during the whole thing though so I feel good. I finished up my summer term and now Ike and I officially only have one semester of classes left!!! Ike has student teaching after this fall but then we both graduate in April. It is crazy when I think about how much my life has changed in the past four years. It is crazy how much it has changed just in the past two years! Sometimes I look at my sleeping baby and I have to pinch myself because this life almost doesn't feel real to me. Was I really pregnant for nine months? Did I really give birth to this baby? Its just crazy. Jackson is now 16lbs and is finally finally sleeping from 7:30pm to 7:00am. He has always been a great sleeper but for the past three months he was waking up at 4am for a feeding. Finally I decided to see what would happen if I just gave him his pacifier instead of feeding him. Well shock upon shock, he just went back to bed and the next morning he slept straight until 6:30. Ever since then he has woken up right around 7!!! Jackson is such a textbook baby. I remember wondering when he would smile for the first time and I read that babies usually start smiling around six weeks or later. On the day he was six weeks he started smiling at me. I just love him so much. Ike gets home tomorrow and I can't be more excited. We have never been apart more than 24 hours and then he was gone this whole week and will be gone all next week!!! It was hard! Anyway, life is more than good and I feel so blessed!

Finally an update!

2010-01-13T12:05:00.001-08:00

Since the last post lots has happened in the Carr house. Ike and I had a very successful but also at times scary drive from Utah to Ohio then New Hampshire then back again for Christmas. It was really fun except for the times the weather was so bad we couldn't see two feet in front of the car. School has started again and I am now officially in my Third Trimester!!! For everyone who doesn't know, we are having a boy and his name will be Jackson. We are more excited than we can even express. I have a feeling this semester is going to go by really fast and soon it will be over and Ike and I will have a new baby in our arms.

We love you all!
April

Good news from the Good Doctor

2009-10-12T13:46:00.000-07:00

So I had my 12 week appointment on Friday and it went awesome! Ike and I got to hear the baby's heart beat for the first time. It was a really really awesome experience. I also was able to meet my doctor for the first time and he is great! I really love the OBGYN clinic I am going to. My doctor's name is Dr. Watabe. Cool huh? He is very calming. It took him a few minutes to find the heartbeat on Friday and I was starting to get nervous that there wasn't one but he reassured me that the baby was small and it had a lot of places to hide. He eventually found it and it was such a relief. I have had way too many dreams where I'm not actually pregnant or I end up giving berth to family pets. It was nice to know the baby is real. The rest of the visit was good. All my blood work came back and it was all good. No blood pressure or sugar problems or anything like that. I did have to come face to face with a scale which was terrifying. I've gained a wopping 15lbs in my first trimester alone. I'm pretty sure I will look like a whale by 9 months. We will see. On the way home I really wanted Taco Bell. Taco Bell has been all I have been thinking about for the past few days. That and chicken noodle soup. Both of those are so good. Honestly, that is probably the reason I gained 15lbs in my first trimester. I will have to watch it. I am definitely showing which is pretty exciting. I will be starting my second trimester very soon and everyone says that's when you explode. So we will see. All and all, Ike and I are doing great!

Big News Big News...

2009-09-21T14:01:00.000-07:00

I can't fit into any of my pants and feel like vomiting all the time!!!... That's right... The Ike and April Carr family are pleased to announce their first child is on the way! So Ike and I are pregnant! We are very excited but at the same time I am already ready to be done with my first trimester. I am sick ALL THE TIME! And I do mean all the time. Some days I am more sick than others but mostly I am just sick all the time. I am a little over two months along. I had my fist doctor's appointment today and I am very proud of myself. The lab woman took four vials of blood and I didn't even vomit! I kind of fainted when I stood up but I never threw up. I am super proud of myself. I covered my face and looked at the opposite wall and the nurse probably thought I was insane but it was OK because I was fine. I actually thought about bringing an extra shirt in my purse just in case I did throw up on myself. For those of you who don't know...I can't handle needles or blood and I tend to faint and vomit when dealing with them. Ike took me out to breakfast as a celebration of my first appointment. My expected due date is April 21st but I am PRAYING that that is just a little early because it happens to be my last day of finals for winter semester and I'm pretty sure that will literally kill me. Classes are going great for both Ike and me. We are working hard and really really really looking forward to Christmas!!! WE CAN'T WAIT!!! We will get to see Jessica and Regan and whole family. P.S Jessica and Regan: You guys ROCK!!!! I want to hear some German at Christmas time!!

That's all!
April

Back to School!

2009-09-01T10:39:00.000-07:00

It feels so good to be back at school! Our first day was yesterday and even though it was tiring it was fun to be back in a classroom. Ike and I are both taking a full load of classes. I can tell my favorite class is going to be floral design and Ike loves his geology class. We are both enjoying BYU and it is wierd to see all the freshman around because they look so young! We had my aunt Becky and my cousin Chloe stay with us for a few days last week while Chloe was getting ready to start BYU for the first time. It made me remember what it was like when I started BYU. I lived in Deseret Towers that no longer exist. My dad drove me out and it was an awesome experience. We ate at the Subway right across from DT my first night here and went to K-Mart to get some things for my dorm. It was really a great experience. I remember there was also a snow storm coming in the night we showed up! The bakery is doing well but it is getting more and more stressfull as we get closer to the busy holiday season. Even though it is only the second day of school, Ike and I have been running into people non-stop from the past few years! It has been so exciting. The book store is absolutly crammed with people and the lines are insane. Ike will be starting intermural flag football in a few weeks and that is somthing he will have a lot of fun doing. We have made new plans for Christmas. We are going to go to Ohio and New Hampshire! We will start out in Ohio and visit my family then spend the second half of the break in New Hampshire with Ike's family. It will be so much fun. Jessica and Regan are moving to Germany this very soon and it is sad but exciting. I think it will be an awesome adventure. Oh, my dad got to come visit us for the weekend this past Saturday and Sunday and it was Awesome!!! It was so good to see him. I am so glad that he came to visit. My mom will be visiting him in Colorado this Thursday and then they are going back to Ohio by next Tuesday. It should be fun for them. Love you All!

April

Two weeks to school and a driving lesson!

2009-08-10T20:40:00.000-07:00

So school starts in two weeks and Ike and I are really excited. We are both taking a full load of credits but I am excited because I am taking some classes that I have been wanting to take since my freshman year! I am super excited about floral design. It has always filled up or not worked with my schedule in the past. Ike gave me my first stick shift driving lesson today. I won't lie, it wasn't very pretty. I think I did better than I thought I would. I can reverse the car OK but having it move forward to begin with was a little harder. Clutches are hard. By the end of the lesson I wasn't stalling it every time which was good. Ike was very nice and didn't hassle me about ruining the gears( At one point I tried to shift to second but I forgot to push in the clutch and it wasn't pretty.) and I kept myself from becoming extremely frustrated and leaving the car. So overall it was a success. I think it will definitely be a while before I am road ready. Right now I feel more comfortable just dealing with flat parking lots. I will keep working at it though and hopefully I will get the hang of it at some point. I am excited that we have a car to begin with. Life for us has been pretty much work lately. This Thursday I am helping the Young Women sew school bags for the Church's humanitarian program and that should be fun. Ike is still ward clerk and doing a wonderful job. We miss you all!!! Love ya!

1 Year Anniversary just around the bend.

2009-08-03T20:22:00.000-07:00

Well Ike and I have almost made it to our 1 year anniversary. We have less than 48 hours now and I am excited. On Sunday night the girls in our stake got their girls camp certificates and it made me think that they should give out certificates for marriage. I would be receiving my first year certificate. Instead of learning to tie a square knot or light a fire without matches I learned how to balance work, school, family, and marriage all at once. I learned how not to think so much about myself and more about how to think about us. I learned how to make sacrifices that I never realized I would make and I learned how to be thankful for blessing beyond belief. I think I have earned my first year's certificate. Ike and I made it through last week which was probably one of the busiest weeks of my summer. It was just a lot of errands and work mixed all together with hardly any sleep. On Friday night I went up to Girl's Camp for Bishop's night to see the girls and it was really fun. The Bishopric got us pizza and we had root beer floats. I had a really great time with the Young Women in the ward. They are all really awesome. I can't wait for school to start. I will be happy when Ike and I finally move from Provo. We both are really hoping to go somewhere in the east coast. I am really sad/excited that Jessica and Regan are leaving so soon. I have a hard time when I see pictures of my whole family together on facebook and they are all together without me. I wish we lived closer. I am really excited for Ben and Katie though. They told us today that they were selected by a birth mother and will be adopting a baby in October. I am so excited for them. Anyway this was a really all over there post. I hope everyone is enjoying their summers and I can't wait for the next time Ike and I get to visit you all.

NEW CAR FOR THE CARRS!

2009-07-20T18:44:00.000-07:00

WE DID IT! WE FINALLY BOUGHT OUR FIRST CAR!
Well Ike and I are pretty proud of ourselves! We have been working like crazy all summer and this is the first big thing we can show for it. We bought our first car today. We actually started looking at this car over a month ago. At first I actually didn't like it but I absolutely love it now! I think we should name it Hans because it originally came from Germany. I am so excited. It is a 1999 Volkswagen Golf. Not the most fancy car but I am in love with it. Now we are really going to have to watch what we eat because I think walking everywhere was the only thing keeping us thin! This has been the biggest purchase we have made as a couple and it was exciting. Now I just have to learn to drive a stick! I think I will be OK. Love to you all!!!

Oregon Trip!

2009-07-13T09:45:00.000-07:00

Oregon was AWESOME!!! Ike and I had an amazing time in Oregon. We got to got to tons of cool places. We went to the coast and saw some beautiful waterfalls. Ike got to go to Idaho and Oregon for the first time and that was fun. We stayed with Grandma Judy and Grandpa Rich in their house for some of the trip and the other part we stayed in an awesome cabin near diamond lake. It was really fun to see all the cousins and relatives that we hadn't seen in a while. The trip was over too soon really and it was sad because Jess and Regan leave for Germany in less than a month. Jared is gone from Provo for now so it is just Ike and I holding down the BYU fort. It is weird to have Abe, Ashley and Jared gone but we are working to keep ourselves busy so its not so bad. It has been HOT HOT HOT here and we don't have air-conditioning. we have been using less and less blankets which is good because it saves on laundry. Ike and I are both looking forward to school starting. I am especially excited because this is my last year!!! Overall we are working hard and staying happy. We miss all you guys and can't wait for the next time we get to see some family. Our one year anniversary is coming up soon and we are both going to get work off so we can spend the entire day together. We think we might see the movie Up. It sounds good and everyone we have talked to has loved it. It would be fun to go see a movie in the theater. It is sooo expensive here to see a movie in the normal theater. Overall we are doing awesome and loving life. We love you all!!! Here are some highlights from the vacation!

Work Work Work

2009-06-17T20:25:00.000-07:00

So Ike and I have busy work schedules. Usually I leave for work just as Ike is getting home and then I get home around the time he has left for his second job. Since we both work two jobs and the hours go from early in the morning to very late at night most of the time we spend together is spent sleeping. I have a new job doing custodial in the Wilkinson Center from 10pm to 2am. It is a little tiring but my body is adjusting. We are glad we are working this way now though. It helps us stay out of debt and save for the future. I can see us telling our kids about this time in our lives when they are our age now.

This is our home!

2009-06-08T12:48:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have not seen where we live, here are a few pictures to give you and idea of what our apartment is like. We moved in a few days before school started last august. It has one bedroom and is a good size for the two of us.

We were originally looking for a studio apartment in the complex we are in but when the one we wanted was sold, we saw our apartment and decided to go for it. We have the only one in the complex with the wood paneled walls. All the other apartments have white cinder block walls.

We will probably be living here until Ike graduates so it will be about another two years. We are happy with it though. We are really close to campus and work and we love our ward.

The Carr Crew Blog!

2009-05-30T17:30:00.000-07:00

Hey Guys! Ike and I thought it would be a good idea to start a blog to give our families a chance to keep up with what we are up to! I will admit, we are not the most interesting couple but we do have a few things going on in our lives that other people might be interested in. So, for all of you on the Carr side and all on the Harvey side, here is a brief update as to what has been going on in our lives!
Ike:
Ike is working two jobs right now and also managing to fulfill his calling as ward clerk! I really don't know how he does it but he does and its amazing. He was sad to see the Celtics fall out of the running for NBA Champs so soon but we have faith for next year! Now we focus our attention on the RED SOX! Ike's job at Burger king has wonderful perks including providing probably 60% or our diet. I don't actually know if thats a good thing but I know it tastes good. Ike has two years of school left before he can start work as a Science Teacher. It is nice to have an end to school in sight!
April:
I am also working two jobs but not nearly as many hours as Ike is. I work at a Bakery and also at a little burger place in a bowling alley on campus. I love working at the bakery but unfortunately, sweet rolls and fattening breads provide the other 40% or our diet! Thank goodness we don't have a car and have to do a lot of walking or we would both be in trouble. I have gotten better and don't bring home quite as many sweet rolls as I used to. I am working as the second councilor in the Young Women's program in my ward. I LOVE my calling. I love working with the girls; I feel like I have learned so much. I only have one year of school left and it is exciting and scary at the same time to think that this portion of my life is coming to a close.

Ike and I are coming up on our 10 month anniversary. I can't believe how fast time has gone by. We are looking forward to going to Oregon with my family for the 4th of July. It will be nice because Jessica and Regan are going to Germany in the fall and who knows how long it will be before we see them again. Hopefully this blog will help the family that is far away feel a little closer to us. We miss and love you all!