We took an early vacation this year.  Though we may end up regretting it once summer gets going, it was so nice to be able to get away sooner than normal.  We went to PCB just like we did last July, and stayed at a condo resort, Splash.  The weather was perfect - sunny, 80+ degrees, no rain; and the crowds were much smaller than going during "peak season".  No long waits for eating or terrible traffic to deal with.  And...lucky for us it was Ellie's spring break week at school plus Jamie's cousin was getting married on the beach the same weekend.  What a perfect storm!

I didn't take a lot of pictures, in fact, Jamie often reminded me I was leaving without my camera.  I just kind of sat back, relaxed and enjoyed just being there instead of worry about taking pictures.  I did include some of my favorites in the post.  The above is Macy Ruth & Ellie at the wedding.  Though they are actually cousins, then tend to act more like BFF and sisters.  In fact, I have been trying to claim Macy as another child on my tax return. 

 Our little family at the wedding.  It was a tad windy that particular day, but the rest of the time the wind was no where to be found. 

 The happy couple - Congrats Whitney & Nathan! 

And ... one of my favs of our nephew Tripp.  He was the only one that couldn't move fast enough from the camera.  Ellie & Jaxon wanted no part in having their picture taken.

Cruddy Day

So it's been a while since anything has been posted to the 'ole blog. (that might be quite an understatement.) Dealing with sinus crud makes for a cruddy day at home. Yuk! I love the beginning of spring, but not the pollen and havoc on sinuses. So, I will bore you with the daily life of the Carson Tribe. Sorry - no pictures because my camera hasn't been out since .... um, December (I know I am terrible).

• I am addicted to Pinterest! O.M.G.


• It's hard to believe that Ellie will be out of school in a matter of weeks! Wow! She reminds us quite often that she will be in 1st grade next year.


• And speaking of school, Ellie seems to have a little problem with talking! I tell her each morning as I am dropping her off to make sure "her ears are turned up" so she can hear the teacher's instructions. And, when the afternoon report comes in she always moves her clip for talking. Her scientific explanation of it is ..."My ears hear her words, they go to my brain, my brain sends the words back out my ears so that I can see them/read them with my eyes, then my nose sucks them up so they come out my mouth." Whew, no wonder why the teacher's instructions are getting mistranslated!


• We will be getting ready to head to the beach in a matter of weeks - so excited! Jamie has a cousin that is getting married so we just decided to take our vacation early to enjoy some time with family.


• And because we are going to the beach, I have become obsessed with exercising. Thankfully, Jenner is my buddy so we motivate one another to get moving. I believe we have found our routine with Kettlebell and Pilates work. I did see this the other day, and was very intrigued by it...humm...


• T-ball practice has begun... and we are still doing gymnastics. Fun!

That's as boring as we get around here...and I know that's bad!

Funnies from Christmas

We had a great Christmas - and it appears we all were on Santa's "good list". It was a whirl-wind of craziness, but I wouldn't have it any other way. And, I am still having difficulties getting photos uploaded, so it will probably be a few posts of just photos soon (fingers crossed). But, I did want to share a few funny stories that made our Christmas extra special.

• A few weeks prior to Christmas I was busy wrapping gifts with my assistant Ellie. She was such a good helper and even attempted to wrap a few presents by herself. She finds a large shipping box that I had tossed aside and runs to her bedroom for a few minutes. She returns with the announcement that this box now contains a gift for me to open on Christmas. Awe, how sweet. She wraps the box with masking tape (it was a cardboard shipping box and Scotch wasn't going to hold) and some of the shipping paper that was inside. It was very rugged and unique:). On Christmas morning, she runs to her room to retrieve the package that has been placed under her tree for me to open. And here is a "side story" to this story ...

{Side Story} I found a wreath idea on Pinterest (love that site) for a ribbon/fabric wreath. I took a stab at it for an adorable ribbon wreath for Ellie's bedroom door. However, it kept falling off from the suction cup. It has been missing for weeks. When I asked questions to both Ellie and Jamie - neither knew what happened to it.

Ok...fast forward to Christmas morning. Ellie give me her wrapped box and when I opened it...you guessed it! It was the ribbon wreath for her bedroom door! Of course I laughed and commented that I was looking for it and had even asked her about it, to which she replied .."Mom, I knew you would like it!" Silly girl! But the funny thing was Jamie didn't even know she had done it until the day before. She woke up that morning to tell him she had had a terrible dream and the conversation goes something like this ...

Dad: Tell me about your dream

Ellie: I dreamed Mom opened her gift

Dad: What gift are you talking about?

Ellie: The gift under the tree in my bedroom.

Dad: Well, what is it?

Ellie: You know that wreath she has been looking for ...

• Another funny story ... Ellie asks my mom specifically to get her the DVD movie "Underdog". My mom search high & low for it only to have to order it on-line. Mom is super proud because she got El exactly what she wanted. Ellie opens her present and wants to watch it. Well, it doesn't work in any of the dvd players. Turns out ... Mom ordered her the Blu-Ray disc of the movie. Problem is ... none of us have a BluRay player. I had to laugh because it seems my mom can't win with Ellie's gifts. Just ask her about Ellie's 2nd Christmas. We will say it was a culture lesson.

News Update

So we have been extra busy with Christmas parties, shopping, programs, and just the daily routines. Whew! December has been crazy-town! I have been trying desperately to upload some photos of all of the fun we have been having, but an uncooperative computer is to blame for the lack thereof. So here is another lack luster blog update.

• Ellie participated in her 1st school Christmas program. The program was adorable set around why the Santa's reindeer wouldn't fly on Christmas Eve. She was a little wiggle worm while singing, but I don't think she missed a word to the songs.


• Just this week, we took Ellie to a live nativity scene in the area. We thought she would like it - petting some animals, walking through the and looking at the sets. Boy, were we mistaken! She showed no interest in it. But...we drive past a home with flashing lights and fully decorated in the spirit of Griswold complete with the plastic light up manger scene and she is in complete awe! I guess we all find the spirit of Christmas in different things from live nativities to plastic and lite up.


• I have watched "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" no less than 5 times thus far. So happy we now have a DVR.


• I hosted the ladies at my office for a Christmas party a few weeks ago. We had a wonderful time playing trivia games, bingo, dirty Santa, and laughing until our sides hurt. It was a great time and already cannot wait until next year.


• We have already had the Harrell Christmas (Jamie's side of the family)-which is always fun! Some of the family live in Middle & East TN and unfortunately with our busy lives we don't see them as often. It is always great to catch up with them all by other means besides Facebook & blogs.


• This weekend will be crazy with Christmases' with families. But I wouldn't have it any other way. When the time comes that all I have to worry about is the 1 Christmas, it will be a sad day. So, I am soaking up all the craziness I can & enjoying every minute of it!

Post #201 {Randomness}

• This post is brought to you by a vacation. I have been on vacay all week, and I must say I was so glad it felt like an actually long week. Normally, it seems that vacation weeks fly by ... but not this one. And, for that ... I am thankful.


• We had a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with family time, watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade (for me nothing starts off the feeling of Thanksgiving & Christmas like the parade), and eating way too much good food :).


• I didn't do the "Black Friday" Shopping. I actually had to work! I must say this is probably about the 2nd or 3rd year I haven't braved the crowds before reporting to work, and I didn't really miss it. Someone examine my head! I did, however, take advantage of some evening "Black Friday" shopping.


• Speaking of shopping. I have seemed to do more on-line shopping this year, than previous. I have found pleasure in sitting in my pj's and simply letting my ADD set in & bringing up multiple windows to view & compare products, prices, special offers, etc. It's probably not helping in the being active.


• Yesterday, I brought lunch to Hubs at work. Well, not only him, but some of his co-workers as well. They called it in...I picked it up. I picked up food at a shady Chinese restaurant. Shady. It was good, and I am glad I didn't actually eat in the restaurant.


• I have put together an Advent Calender for Ellie. She was asking the other day about presents from us & Santa. WHAT?! I never thought about presents from my parents on Christmas as a child. Santa ruled! Parents could do my birthdays. So, in a effort of trickery I introduced an Advent Calender. There are great ideas on creating these on Pinterest (don't you love it! I need a support group, or an intervention). Some of the gifts are materialistic and some are just family time. Last night, day #24, was a Christmas shirt. I always buy her one every year, so it made it a little more special by wrapping & presenting. She woke up easily this morning so she could go pull a slip. Which said "Wrap Christmas presents & find a Christmas movie on TV". Other ideas include: a Daddy & Daughter date (when I have my coworkers over for a Christmas party), going to a Christmas parade, looking for Christmas lights one evening, having a picnic in the living room, having Breakfast for Dinner. For the little gifts I used the items I normally purchase every Christmas -- Christmas themed books (you can find these for $5 or so at local book stores and even department stores such as Kohl's), winter themed pencils, cheap foam & paint crafts (picked up at the Dollar Tree & Target $ Spot). Nothing expensive, but just a new twist.


• Tomorrow is Santa Day! Santa will be at Ellie's school for Breakfast w/ Santa, then that evening after the local parade at my office for Cookies & Koolaid w/ Santa. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate for both events to be successful.


• Our church friends, The Ritters, came home for Thanksgiving from their new home in Oklahoma. It was such a joy to see them, spend time w/ them, and just enjoy catching up on their new life in Oklahoma. I knew I missed them, but you never realize how much until they have to leave again.


• We had our first of many Christmas parties the weekend after Thanksgiving. As always, the Owens' Christmas party did not disappoint. We played Dirty Bingo - a combo of Dirty Santa & Bingo. It was fun! I will try to sort thru some photos for a post.

I hope I haven't bored you to tears.

A little windy outside...

I attempted to take some Christmas photos today. On the windiest day of the year ... Just a small preview of what might be appearing in your mailbox.

Decisions? Decisions?

One of the hardest decisions I love to make regarding Christmas is the style/type of Christmas card will be arriving in the mailboxes of relatives and loved ones. I always send a photo card and always find it difficult to make the decision not only with the chosen photo, but the card that fits the photo. This year the decision may be as difficult as every with the wide selection I have found via Tiny Prints. Oh. My. Goodness. The crazy amount of photo cards available - the colors, the style, the number of photos ... the ideas are too good to be true. Here are some that caught my eye...

I have a good idea of the photo I want to do (if I get around to taking it & my daughter cooperates). So, I think that these 1st two options would be perfect choices.

I love this one because it can easily hang on the Christmas tree (maybe year after year), or from a cabinet knob. So cute! And unique! This card caught by eye because of the simple, retro feel. If only it would snow like this where I live for a "White Christmas".

One word ... Chevron (pattern). Love the wild, colorful, and playful card. It reminds me of our summer and one of those photos would coordinate well, if my original idea doesn't happen.

And, this card recaps the favorite memories from 2011. How great to give a glimpse of a wonderful year to loved ones. And, you can see how the little ones have changed/grown up throughout the year.

With hundreds of options to choose from, this decision could take a while.