Hi Everyone!

Karter wanted to blow some kisses while he was eating lunch. 

Playing in the Snow

Sunday morning we woke up to lots of snow.  We thought it would be fun to play in the snow before Robert had to leave for St. Louis.  We bundled Karter up and then remembered we hadn't bought him boots yet.  We took the redneck route and put plastic grocery bags over his slippers, and then tied and rubber-banded the bags.  He sat patiently while we got everything ready and then we took him outside and set him in the snow.  The one thing we didn't think about was how slick those bags would be on the snow.  No way was he going to be able to walk in the snow with plastic bags on his feet, but he stayed dry and warm.  All in all, playing in the wasn't the fun experience we had hoped it would be.  We did build a snowman and get out the sled, but movement in snow clothing is constricted and we will probably be spending most of our winter inside looking out the window.

Karter's growing vocabulary

Today Karter and I are trying to list all the words he says on a regular basis. So far we have the following list...

mama
dada
Kayla
night night (which refers to his blanket)
go
no
this
that
what
cookie
cubs
eyes
hi
grace house (every time he walks to the back door because he wants to go play with her)

He also says Nanny, sissy, milk, and a few others on occassion. He signs milk, more, all done, and a few of his own made up signs to get his point accross. He is becoming quite the communicator these days. He is starting to use two words together, or two signs, or even a word and a sign together. He actually said "go Grace house" this week.

Chuck E. Cheese

Kayla has been wanting to take Karter to Chuck E. Cheese since he was born.  We finally agreed to take him despite all the germs he would encounter and undesirable human interaction that would be forced upon him.  Of course, he had a blast, and so did Kayla.  They played lots of games and won lots of tickets.  They traded in the tickets for some clay, bubble bath tablets, and a few plastic toys.  We passed on the pizza and went home for chili and grilled cheese.  They didn't get to see Chuck in action, so we will have to go back some time.

Halloween

Monkey Boy

Wienie Roast

Thanks Nanny and Papa for the wienie roast.  We all had a great time.  Sorry I didn't get a picture of Hudson hitting the 

Just a few pictures

Since I've done a very terrible job of keeping up the past month, here are just a few pictures.  Since the last post, Karter had his actual birthday party at home, we went to the pumpkin patch, and we carved pumpkins.

Birthday Boy

Sunday was Karter's 1st Birthday party. Here are some pictures of him enjoying his big day. Thanks to everyone who came and helped make the day so special.

Cubs Game

Last night Robert, Karter, and I went to the Cubs vs Phillies game. It was one of the most exciting games we have been to. We had great seats and Karter stayed awake for the entire game. He had a wonderful time and behaved very well for being so late at night. He actually stayed up until after midnight.

The Girls

I don't seem to post many pictures of the girls. It is difficult to catch the older kids doing something of interest. Kayla always has her nose stuck in a book and Liv's nose is glued to her cell phone. Here are a few pictures of the girls at the wedding and just hanging out.

Karter's New Tricks

Karter has learned a few new tricks over the past 10 days. He has learned how to pull himself up, walk along furniture, point, and sign. I had bought him a tent a while back and was saving it for his birthday, but decided to open it a few days ago. He loves to crawl in and out of it, play peek-a-boo, and try to tip it over. The first night we opened it, he sat inside and just giggled for about 45 mintues. I was worried he would be scared to be in it, but it has turned into a hit. We also bought him a new carseat hoping he would behave better if he was facing forward.

Vacation

Last week Rob and I took some vacation time and just stayed home. We did some work around the house, took the kids to a water park, went to see an IMAX 3-D movie in Noblesville, and went to a Cubs game. I guess we didn't just stay home, we were constantly on the go, but we all had lots of fun. Now we are getting ready for school to start and I just can't believe the summer break is over. Here are a few pictures from the past month or so.

June in Retrospect

Now that June is gone, I thought I'd post what our family has been doing the past month.

First off, Mike is home and doing great. Thanks to everyone for the prayers.

Karter went to his first Cubs game. He managed to stay awake for the entire game and then fell asleep in taxi on the way back to the hotel. While in Chicago we also went to Shed Aquarium, the Field Museum, and the Sear's Tower.

Kayla has finished playing league volleyball. She did a great job and had lots of fun.

Alivia finished her first year with the Monticello Strokers swimming club. Thanks to Stu and Liv for going to her McCutchen meet and watching her.

I started back to school. I have 5 classes to finish my MBA and in another 2 1/2 weeks will be down to 4 classes. I can't wait to be finished. Tonight we have to take in a baby picture. Kayla found one for me and said everyone will be able to guess it is me because the picture is so old. Very Funny!

Well, those are just a few things going on with us. I hope to do a better job this month and maybe I'll get a picture or 2 put up.

Happy 4th of July!

Update

Wonderful News! Mike, Robert's step-father, woke up about 18 hours after his arctic sun treatment. Robert, Karter, and I went to visit yesterday evening and Mike was sitting in a chair eating ice chips. He has a sore chest from the CPR, some short-term memory issues, and plenty of tubes, but he is breathing on his own, talking, and being obnoxious. The doctors and nurses are amazed at his progress and say he may be going home in a few days.

Update on Mike Long

I'm not sure how many I've talked to, but I wanted to let everyone know the update on Robert's step-father, Mike Long. He had a heart attack on Sunday and was life lined to Parkview in Fort Wayne. He is still in the coronary intensive care unit. He completed his arctic sun treatment this morning and is probably warmed up by now. He will be having another brain scan to check for brain waves later today. We should have news about his progress in the next 72 hours. Thanks for all the prayers.

Flowers for Nanny

Karter asked if he could pick some flowers for Nanny, but we decided to take some pictures for you instead.