Heidi, Addie, & Danny collect apples while the grown ups shake the tree.
Addie got LOTS of apples!
Addie & Danny played hunter in the field

(where there are usually deer, antelope, & bears)

OOPS! That's Colton Carter sideways in a tree!
Aunt Angie & Heidi
Nicole & Terry Carter with Apple boxes

Moriah Carter and Mom Melin picking up apples off the ground.
Awww...tired Heidi & Rich
Happy Heidi & Sleepy Addie

That's me...1972.

THIRTY FOUR

Well, it's over. The party's been had, the gifts opened, the news spread...I'm settling into 34. I took this close up to examine my face at 34, to look at wrinkles and scars. Interesting. My face is all slopey and I can still see the very first wrinkle I noticed on my 26th birthday--it's the laugh line on my left, your right. Hmm. All I can tell is everything is sagging, but it's all good. I have my health and a bun in the oven, so no complaints! Big thanks to my in-laws for such a nice evening (Cuban Barbecue)!

My sis asked about the girls' reactions to the baby news. Well, Heidi doesn't get it of course, but she is absolutely MAD about babies. Addie--well, the conversation went like this: We were sorting through my stationery, and we found a little boy's bday card with a train on it and she said, "Oh, we can save this for my baby brother!" (she has been talking about her baby brother for 10 months). I smiled and said, "Know what? There's a baby in my tummy! Maybe it will be brother!" In her cute little dramatic way she leaned over and hugged me and said, "Oh, mommy! I am so happy for the baby in your tummy! I love it! I love my baby brother!" And she keeps hugging my belly and saying, "I love my baby!" It's pretty fun. They are just the BEST kids--I am so loving them right now (maybe because they are SLEEPING ALL NIGHT IN THEIR OWN BEDS!!! Another good bday thing!)

My Very Best Present

No. 3 ETA: May 27, 2006

Who Wouldn't Want ANOTHER One of These?

Heidi was patting Addie on the head today & they were laughing SO hard!!!

Birthday Haircut

AFTER: Mama got her haircut...but she looks even scarier!
BEFORE: Semi-Bimbo-ish Summer Blonde, fried ends...

I know it looks like I got them mixed up, but I actually had my hair darkened this time so I don't have to continue the horrendous touch-up schedule for highlights, trying to hide the fact that my hair gets darker with every pregnancy (and my feet get bigger, too). You can see that my hair is now it's natural non-descript ash-blonde color, I have a cowlick that ALWAYS makes bangs a bad idea, and it lost about an inch in a trim. SASSAY. Thank you, Wonder-Hubby!

Three and a Half More Shopping Days...

...until my BIRTHDAY! On Saturday I turn 34!!! Which means my little adopted sister Abby turns 6 and my Auntie M turns...well, let's just say I was born on her 17th birthday! :) My present from Rich is a nice HAIRCUT, etc at Root 66 tomorrow. I'll post before and after pictures.

I gotta go tend to my poor injured Heidi. She took several falls at the park today, the last of which was a header off a 2-1/2-foot planter, which banged up her angel face! Porecita--such tough age, learning to walk and climb and judge distances! Plus, I gotta play Go Fish with Addie, too! So more later...

Unnatural Disaster

On Thursday 9/15, the city was repairing a gas line and they blew up this house. It belonged to a woman in our church—she is Addie’s Sunbeam teacher and her oldest son is Rich’s best friend from childhood. Her youngest son is 19 and he was napping on the living room floor when the house blew up. The blast woke him up and he had to just crawl toward the light he saw through the tunnel of debris that fell on him when the roof caved in. He was treated for lots of second degree burns all over his body. It's a miracle he got out! Here's another miracle--there was debris for blocks, but on Friday when Diane went down to look around, she found her wedding ring (she is a widow). So we are grateful that Brad is alive and hopefully he will heal with no scars and they will get a nice settlement and a new house.

All of this happened during playgroup last Thursday and I happened to be hosting. We heard the sirens while the kids were playing in the back yard, and then a few minutes later the phone started to ring. Wow. So there were like 5 other moms here at my house and we started talking about this and how you could possibly be prepared for a disaster like this. I mean, we've got CDs of our scanned documents, photos, and home movies in a safe deposit box, but what if the bank burns down, too? We've got the food and water storage, first aid kits, camping gear, warm clothing, emergency transporatation and energy sources--those are great for flood, tornado, truckers' strike, war, etc.--but in an accident like this one, it's all ashes. I mean, Brad didn't even have SHOES! They only had the clothes on thier backs. It makes you (a) really think about your own life and preparedness and (b) really want to help and fix things for your unfortunate neighbors (although this may turn out to be the best thing that ever happened to them-- who knows?)

More Park Pix

The girls are at such great ages right now--"delightful" is the word. Of course, there is opposition in all things, so the bad is pretty bad, too, but, oh, they are so much fun and so cute (most of the time).