Last Saturday night, I went into Carson's room at 11:30 p.m. to check on him and turn off his Nemo light. Of course I am busy-bodying around and making sure he is covered up when I hear:
"Hi Mommy"
I was so startled that I jumped a little bit, but after a quick recovery our short conversation went like this:
Me: "Well, hi there Baby! What are you doing?"
Carson: "I'm night-night".
Me: "Well, that's good. Can you actually go night-night and sleep now?"
Carson: Nods in the affirmative, rolls over with a blanket and is done talking.
It was a great conversation that I will not forget!! :)
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
"This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed — why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent Mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath."
--President Barack Obama's First Inaugural Address
I feel so blessed to witness such amazing history in my lifetime. One day I will open a United States History textbook, and the "Glossary of Presidents" will never look the same after today...
I am inspired and proud to be an American!
--President Barack Obama's First Inaugural Address
I feel so blessed to witness such amazing history in my lifetime. One day I will open a United States History textbook, and the "Glossary of Presidents" will never look the same after today...I am inspired and proud to be an American!
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Merry Christmas 2008!
The holidays are always one of my favorite times of the year. This year, things are even more special as Carson continues to grow and interact more, and the wonder of Christmas becomes that much more magical. We had a 3-day Christmas Extravaganza with family that was very special and very relaxing. :)
Mike and Carson played a lot over the holiday break. They are such good buddies :) I hear Carson belly-laugh the most when he is with his Daddy. I get spoiled having Mike around so much during the break--it is always hard to go back after spending so much time together.
Here is that belly laugh I was talking about!
Carson was definitely in the Christmas spirit. He loves lights, the tree, christmas music--pretty much the works! He is looking at the Christmas Train that is displayed on the plant ledge in the dining room in this picture. We would just turn on the lights and watch him marvel and smile...
Cute picture...but not so cute that Carson is STANDING on one of Grandma Sue's presents. Yes, he wanted to reach the top of the railing, so he used the beautifully wrapped present as a step stool...
Sorry, Grandma--good thing this wasn't breakable!! :)
We all went to Mom and Dad Bedwell's house on the 23rd for a wonderful meal and some presents. Carson likes to sit at the piano and play some songs. He is quite a musical child, actually. We will see...
Dad put together an "old school" Bedwell scavenger hunt for Mom--and it was a huge surprise :). She had to follow 15 clues to find her present. Nice work, Dad!
Collin got introduced to the Bedwell Scavenger hunt by having a clue hidden in his shoe. He was a good sport and helped hide all the clues around the house:
Unfortunately, with my Dad's sense of humor--you had to know that a clue would be hidden in Carson's pants. It was a gamble, but everything worked out just fine. Carson was wondering why Grandma kept grabbing his butt, though...
It was a successful scavenger hunt, and Mom finally found her tickets to see the Tabernacle Choir at Red Rocks. I'm sure that they will have a great time at the concert! 
On Christmas Eve, we went to Mass at 4 p.m. (was the Midnight Mass ever THIS crowded??), and then had dinner at Mom and Dad Lowe's house. Carson is sitting in an antique rocking chair that has been passed down through Bryan, Mike, Kevin, and Collin before it is now in Carson's hands. Billy re-finished the wood, and it is beautiful. :)
We headed home on Christmas Eve so that we would see what Santa brought to our house on Christmas morning. Mike and I have etched some crazy memories of trying to put together a child's toy on Christmas Eve...those instructions really suck! Oh well, we knew that we would laugh about it someday. ha ha ha
Kava was excited to get his brand new birdie :)
Carson didn't know what to do first--
He LOVES his Little Tikes Car...
and he loves his helicopter ball pit (thanks for the great idea, Cherish and Darren!!)
Keith and Debbie gave Carson a big Nemo, and he is giving Nemo a hug in this picture:
Collin and Uncle Kevin gave Carson the coolest elmo/cookie monster giggle ball!
Umm, guys--I think he likes it!
Everyone came to our house on Christmas day for yet another great meal and some Guitar Hero. Here are a couple of pics:
On Christmas night, Lindsey & Nick Fohr and The Hunters came to visit while Nick and Lindz were in town. They brought Carson the COOLEST little University of Nebraska @ Omaha MAVERICKS hockey jersey! It is a little big, but trust me--this kid will get a lot of wear out of this! :)
Daddy and Carson share a moment...
A few days after Christmas, Deven, LaNan, Alayna, Dallin, and Rhett came to Colorado for a visit. We were so excited to see them! The Denver Zoo Wildlights seemed like the perfect thing to do with visitors in town, so off we went!
It was still cold, mind you--but I admit that this was a little overkill where once again Carson couldn't move his arms because he was bundled up so much. :) I was laughing...
Here we are at the Wildlights. If you haven't been, it is really neat and some of the animal exhibits are still open. We went through our favorite Tropical Discovery area at night and it was pretty neat!
Here is Devin and LaNan & family...and a bear that wanted to take a picture with them. I think Rhett was wondering about that bear, but he was safe on Daddy's shoulders!
Kevin and Collin also joined us. I love this picture--are we sure that they are related??? heh heh heh. Collin is so grown up--it is crazy that he is in high school now...
We rode the carousel and the zoo train! Great picture, Rhett!
Alayna and Dallin are really into the ride--
Carson and Daddy took a spin--this time on a panda!
What a great picture! Carson with his "Mam ma and Bampa" :)
And now it is 2009--with so much hope and excitement for what this year will bring, I am feeling pretty blessed about my life and my family. What a great Christmas--with really wonderful memories :)
Mike and Carson played a lot over the holiday break. They are such good buddies :) I hear Carson belly-laugh the most when he is with his Daddy. I get spoiled having Mike around so much during the break--it is always hard to go back after spending so much time together.
Here is that belly laugh I was talking about!
Carson was definitely in the Christmas spirit. He loves lights, the tree, christmas music--pretty much the works! He is looking at the Christmas Train that is displayed on the plant ledge in the dining room in this picture. We would just turn on the lights and watch him marvel and smile...
Cute picture...but not so cute that Carson is STANDING on one of Grandma Sue's presents. Yes, he wanted to reach the top of the railing, so he used the beautifully wrapped present as a step stool...
Sorry, Grandma--good thing this wasn't breakable!! :)
We all went to Mom and Dad Bedwell's house on the 23rd for a wonderful meal and some presents. Carson likes to sit at the piano and play some songs. He is quite a musical child, actually. We will see...
Dad put together an "old school" Bedwell scavenger hunt for Mom--and it was a huge surprise :). She had to follow 15 clues to find her present. Nice work, Dad!
Collin got introduced to the Bedwell Scavenger hunt by having a clue hidden in his shoe. He was a good sport and helped hide all the clues around the house:
Unfortunately, with my Dad's sense of humor--you had to know that a clue would be hidden in Carson's pants. It was a gamble, but everything worked out just fine. Carson was wondering why Grandma kept grabbing his butt, though...
It was a successful scavenger hunt, and Mom finally found her tickets to see the Tabernacle Choir at Red Rocks. I'm sure that they will have a great time at the concert! 
One of the things that I received for Christmas from my Mom were some more chapters that she has written about her life. She is writing down her memories of each stage in her life, and it is really cool to read this. I have found out stuff that I have never known before, and she is creating a legacy for her kids and grandkids. I was very excited to get a few more chapters to put in the notebook!
On Christmas Eve, we went to Mass at 4 p.m. (was the Midnight Mass ever THIS crowded??), and then had dinner at Mom and Dad Lowe's house. Carson is sitting in an antique rocking chair that has been passed down through Bryan, Mike, Kevin, and Collin before it is now in Carson's hands. Billy re-finished the wood, and it is beautiful. :)
We headed home on Christmas Eve so that we would see what Santa brought to our house on Christmas morning. Mike and I have etched some crazy memories of trying to put together a child's toy on Christmas Eve...those instructions really suck! Oh well, we knew that we would laugh about it someday. ha ha haCarson slept in past 7 a.m., but when he got up and went downstairs, he did his infamous little gasp of amazement: Santa had come!!!
Kava was excited to get his brand new birdie :)
Carson didn't know what to do first--
He LOVES his Little Tikes Car...
and he loves his helicopter ball pit (thanks for the great idea, Cherish and Darren!!)
Keith and Debbie gave Carson a big Nemo, and he is giving Nemo a hug in this picture:
Collin and Uncle Kevin gave Carson the coolest elmo/cookie monster giggle ball!
Umm, guys--I think he likes it!
Everyone came to our house on Christmas day for yet another great meal and some Guitar Hero. Here are a couple of pics:
On Christmas night, Lindsey & Nick Fohr and The Hunters came to visit while Nick and Lindz were in town. They brought Carson the COOLEST little University of Nebraska @ Omaha MAVERICKS hockey jersey! It is a little big, but trust me--this kid will get a lot of wear out of this! :)
Daddy and Carson share a moment...
A few days after Christmas, Deven, LaNan, Alayna, Dallin, and Rhett came to Colorado for a visit. We were so excited to see them! The Denver Zoo Wildlights seemed like the perfect thing to do with visitors in town, so off we went!
It was still cold, mind you--but I admit that this was a little overkill where once again Carson couldn't move his arms because he was bundled up so much. :) I was laughing...
Here we are at the Wildlights. If you haven't been, it is really neat and some of the animal exhibits are still open. We went through our favorite Tropical Discovery area at night and it was pretty neat!
Here is Devin and LaNan & family...and a bear that wanted to take a picture with them. I think Rhett was wondering about that bear, but he was safe on Daddy's shoulders!
Kevin and Collin also joined us. I love this picture--are we sure that they are related??? heh heh heh. Collin is so grown up--it is crazy that he is in high school now...
We rode the carousel and the zoo train! Great picture, Rhett!
Alayna and Dallin are really into the ride--
Carson and Daddy took a spin--this time on a panda!
What a great picture! Carson with his "Mam ma and Bampa" :)
And now it is 2009--with so much hope and excitement for what this year will bring, I am feeling pretty blessed about my life and my family. What a great Christmas--with really wonderful memories :)Carson has a visit with Santa!
We had no idea what to expect when Carson sat on Santa's lap this year--he seems to love him when we are at home, but that doesn't mean he will want to sit on Santa's lap in real life!! Actually, Carson did great up there although he looks pretty nervous in this picture...when he was done seeing Santa, he kept trying to get back in line to see him again and there were NO TEARS!! Mike printed this picture for Carson to carry around, and he even took a few naps with it in his crib :).
Apparently, Carson is a pretty big Santa Claus fan!
Apparently, Carson is a pretty big Santa Claus fan!
Let the Holiday Cheer Commence!
Carson is showing off how ready he is for the Christmas festivities to begin. We love having people over, watching Christmas movies, drinking hot chocolate, getting in the car to go look at Christmas lights, and even shopping (sometimes...). This year, we really wanted to balance the season with less stress and more focus on what is important: being with family and friends, and celebrating "Deda's" (Jesus) birthday.
We hosted a sit down dinner in the week after Thanksgiving to jump start things. It was a fun night to just hang out and anticipate all of the holiday fun that was still left ahead of us!
Here we are enjoying dinner:
One of things that we kept hearing about was how festive the Bass Pro Shops mega store was during the Christmas season. So we decided to check it out for ourselves. If you have ever been to a Cabelas, this store is meant to be competition--it is huge! We had a great time wandering around and Carson even visited with Santa there. He became really attached to this camoflouge hunting jeep, so we spent a lot of time letting him "drive" in the store.
We went up and down in the elevator a few times, because you look out at a tank of huge fish and it is pretty cool...here we are in front of the fishtank. Carson kept trying to get closer and closer to the waterfall on the other side, and he got pretty irate when I wouldn't let him get in the water--get used to it, kid--I don't think they approve of swimming in the pond in Bass Pro Shops!!
Things are growing SO FAST in the area where we live, and there is a brand new shopping center that is only 5 minutes away from our house. The Orchard is an outside mall with restaurants and an AMC movie theater, and they even have live music in the summer. This Christmas, we voted that The Orchard had the BEST decorations of anywhere we had seen. It was so beautiful! There was also a "North Pole Christmas Train" that drove around the mall, and Carson and I took a ride on it. It is pretty sweet to have such a great place so close to where we live! Carson is checking out a train car before we got our tickets:
This train runs around the mall year-round, I believe, but they decorated it for the holidays and we couldn't resist.
Good times :)
This was just the beginning of our new explorations of holiday fun!
We hosted a sit down dinner in the week after Thanksgiving to jump start things. It was a fun night to just hang out and anticipate all of the holiday fun that was still left ahead of us!
Here we are enjoying dinner:
One of things that we kept hearing about was how festive the Bass Pro Shops mega store was during the Christmas season. So we decided to check it out for ourselves. If you have ever been to a Cabelas, this store is meant to be competition--it is huge! We had a great time wandering around and Carson even visited with Santa there. He became really attached to this camoflouge hunting jeep, so we spent a lot of time letting him "drive" in the store.
We went up and down in the elevator a few times, because you look out at a tank of huge fish and it is pretty cool...here we are in front of the fishtank. Carson kept trying to get closer and closer to the waterfall on the other side, and he got pretty irate when I wouldn't let him get in the water--get used to it, kid--I don't think they approve of swimming in the pond in Bass Pro Shops!!
Things are growing SO FAST in the area where we live, and there is a brand new shopping center that is only 5 minutes away from our house. The Orchard is an outside mall with restaurants and an AMC movie theater, and they even have live music in the summer. This Christmas, we voted that The Orchard had the BEST decorations of anywhere we had seen. It was so beautiful! There was also a "North Pole Christmas Train" that drove around the mall, and Carson and I took a ride on it. It is pretty sweet to have such a great place so close to where we live! Carson is checking out a train car before we got our tickets:
This train runs around the mall year-round, I believe, but they decorated it for the holidays and we couldn't resist.
Good times :)
This was just the beginning of our new explorations of holiday fun!Oh the weather outside is frightful...
Before the holidays, we had a string of really COLD weather, and Carson got a chance to play in the snow for the first time. I got the chance to dress him up like the kid in "A Christmas Story"--as he could barely move and his arms were stuck straight out because he was so bundled up!
Pretty winter landscape...
Carson holds snow for the first time! And yes, Daddy IS wearing snowman pajama pants.
Kava loves the snow! He jumps in the biggest drifts he can find. :) These two will have a lot of fun as Carson gets older...
A midget snowman:
Carson realizes what COLD really means when a glove falls off. He was not amused.
We tried to build a snowman on the back deck, but it was so cold that the snow wouldn't hold together. No snowball fights this time! Instead, we decided to make a snow lounge chair :)
Here is the whole family--hard at work on our snow chair.
Carson seems to love the snow! We went up to Winter Park after Christmas to hang out with Bob and Beth Daniel, and Carson got to ride on a sled and he loved it. Kava was in heaven up there as he bounded through the snow like a deer. I had a blast skiing for the first time in 2 years. It was so fun! Mike played in the snow with Carson and watched some football.
What a winter wonderland!
Pretty winter landscape...
Carson holds snow for the first time! And yes, Daddy IS wearing snowman pajama pants.
Kava loves the snow! He jumps in the biggest drifts he can find. :) These two will have a lot of fun as Carson gets older...
A midget snowman:
Carson realizes what COLD really means when a glove falls off. He was not amused.
We tried to build a snowman on the back deck, but it was so cold that the snow wouldn't hold together. No snowball fights this time! Instead, we decided to make a snow lounge chair :)
Here is the whole family--hard at work on our snow chair.
Carson seems to love the snow! We went up to Winter Park after Christmas to hang out with Bob and Beth Daniel, and Carson got to ride on a sled and he loved it. Kava was in heaven up there as he bounded through the snow like a deer. I had a blast skiing for the first time in 2 years. It was so fun! Mike played in the snow with Carson and watched some football.
What a winter wonderland!
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