Birthday Blues

I'm going to start this by saying I know I probably sound really spoiled and selfish but this is my venting outlet for the evening.  Today is my birthday, I am 27.  Most of my girlfriends cringe at the thought of celebrating another birthday and becoming another year older but,  I LOVE birthdays...in that really over the top, annoying kind of way.  My parents always made a really big deal about my birthday (I guess because my birthday is so close to Christmas, they didn't want me to feel cheated out of a real birthday).  And, I guess I just feel like my birthday IS a big deal, no matter how old I get.  Actually, I feel like everyone's birthday is a big deal.  It's the only time people celebrate you and you alone (there is that selfish part!). 
I was super excited this year because Keil and I have so much to be thankful for and we've celebrated so much together in the last 12 months, and because my place of employment allows you to have your birthday off (PAID!).  I started my birthday by sleeping in, 8:30...go me!  Keil works second shift so he doesn't get in bed until between 3:30 and 4am each morning but I thought with it being my birthday he might be okay with being woke up a little early (just for a few minutes to show me some birthday love), I was wrong.  I gave up on getting an affection from him and took the dogs for a walk in the freezing cold (but by almost 9am, it was an amazing 10 degrees).  I came back in and started my coffee and headed downstairs to start some laundry, yes I know laundry on a birthday sounds fabulous, but when I started the machine, nothing happened.  There was no water!  Our water pipes had frozen overnight!  So, I called my Dad (mainly to keep Keil from freaking out and being super grumpy but also because I knew he would know what to do), we spent the next hour or so crawling around under my house and setting up a Rediheater to thaw out the pipes.  Talk about birthday excitement!
When Keil got up, he and my Dad discovered that one of our pipes had actually busted and had to be replaced so they headed to the hardware store to get the parts needed to replace it.  Once they got it all taken care of I was sure I could finally be the center of attention (I know, selfishness) for just a few hours before Keil left for work...wrong again!
We did manage to make it to out for a really late lunch before he left for work, actually I followed him there because right after we ate he had to head to work. 
So here I am, at home, ALONE!  No cake, no birthday card, no gift, no husband...nothing.   I'm just suffering from a case of the birthday blues.  If my girlfriends have birthdays like this, I can see why they don't want to celebrate. 

I think I'll head downstairs and befriend a nice bottle of wine and wrap some Christmas presents. 
 

Christmas Card Excitement!

Here is a sneak peek of our very first Christmas Card...can't wait til they arrive :)

Retro Snowflake Bursts Christmas

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View the entire collection of cards.

I Give Thanks For...

This wonderful man:

And, these two beautiful babies

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Tickled Pink

I'm absolutely thrilled because my sister-in-law, Kelsey, found out today that she is having a GIRL!  I guess I'll be spending my lunch hour shopping for lots of hair bows and other little girl goodies :) 

I can't wait to meet Callie Isabella!

Mission Accomplished

...and we both survived!  Mr. Carter and I took on a landscaping project, it took us 6 days from start to finish.  Mainly because we work opposite of one another and never really have time to "project" together.  Anyway, when we moved in our house there was ZERO landscaping...absolutely nothing, a blank canvas!  We bought the house in late spring and since other inside things had to be accomplished before we could turn our attention to the outside, we kinda missed the boat on making our yard pretty this summer.  We tried though, we did a mulch bed with day lillies and marigolds around our pool and a small stargazer lilly bed next to the stairs off of our deck.  We attempted the a mulch bed at the front of the house but the yard is majorly sloped and awkward so it was a little bit of a mess.  Here is a picture of our first attempt

Six days, 175 landscaping bricks, 2 bucket loads of mulch and lots of praying later

We are very proud of ourselves!  Now if all of our plants come back in the spring we'll have a beautiful little flower bed.

Guess What I Did??

I bought Christmas ornaments!!! :)  I'm totally the person who despises decorating for Christmas before Thanksgiving, the rule is the weekend after Thanksgiving to New Year's Day...no exceptions!  Well, in my house anyway.
So let me explain:  Last year on December 23, I was shopping with my parents at good ole Target and all of their Christmas trees were like 80% off.  (Side note:  Before Mr Carter and I moved, my house had 10ft ceilings and my 6 1/2ft tree looked miniature)  It was like "A Charlie Brown Christmas", I found the perfect 8ft tall tree.  Absolute beauty.  I paid like $40 for a tree that was more than $200 originally...(and remember, it's not how much you spend-it's how much you save!) The problem was that because they only had the display and no box to put it in (and because of the shopping we had already done), it wouldn't fit in my mommas car and because of the massive price reduction, they couldn't even hold it for me if I paid for it.  So, on Christmas Eve morning, I drug Mr Carter to Target (45 minutes away) in hopes that MY tree would still be there.  We were there when the store opened at 7am and so was my tree!  I decided then that in celebration of my new tree, I would be getting new ornaments.  In years past, I've always decorated with using blue and white and snowmen.  So for Christmas 2010, the tree at the Carter household will be displaying red and two shades of green  Tonight, my mom, niece and I made a quick trip to Evansville to Hobby Lobby (who currently has all ornaments 50% off) and Michael's for some Christmas inspiration.  I got some super cute ornaments and some sparkly picks.  I cannot wait to see it all come together...but not until AFTER Thanksgiving!  I'll be sure to post some pics once the tree is up

The Married Life

Oh Gosh, it has been FOREVER!
So much has happened since my last post...we are finally married!  And it feels so amazing.  Mr. Carter and I had an absolutely perfect wedding day.  And, I am totally aware that every bride says that, and it's probably true, but we definitely had "our" perfect day.  We faced some obstacles on the way to the alter but we made it and we're married and that is truly all that matters.  So, in celebration of our wedding day, I thought I'd include a few pics for you

Playing in the woods before the wedding

Probably my favorite picture (via my bestie, Kristen)

We're Married :)

Our First Dance

A sneak peak from our photographer (who is absolutely amazing)

We were blessed in so many ways and cannot say thank you enough to those who made our day so wonderful.  We have AMAZING friends & families, a great (& very pregnant) photographer who ran all over the place and everyone who worked to make sure every single thing was in place.  We know that this was the first of many great days and can't wait to see what our future holds