Miles thoughts.....

We were sitting at the table tonight having our "Sunday treat" (frozen bannans, frozen blueberries, milk and cream blended up to make a creamy DELICIOUS shake---try it sometime)

We were talking about when Jesus was a boy and his parents couldnt find him for 3 days...the conversation turned into "what would you do Miles if you were in the store and you were lost like Jesus was(not that Jesus was really lost, but you get the picture)"

All I can say is His brain is amazing...the stuff he came up with....

He said "well if it was raining, the shopping cart you were using would have made tracks and I would follow the tracks from the cart"

I said "what if it wasnt raining?" Miles--"I would leave the store and walk around and look for you and remember everything I was walking by so I could find my way back if I dont find you" I said "OH MY GOODNESS, DONT EVER LEAVE THE STORE!!!!!!!!!"

Long story short, I am glad we had this conversation....or I could end up with one lost wandering boy! He tends to think he can do anything with no problem at all....it was not big deal to him if he were to ever become lost. Yikes! We finally settled on "you would go find another mom, preferrably with kids and tell her you are lost".

Bed update....

I dont ever want to get out of it! I dont wake up sore and stiff. Anyone that is bed shopping (and I know you) give me a call if you want to try it out.

It was sunny today.....

The weather was quite decent today so we got out of the house and went to a park in Seattle...it was so nice to just let the kids run free. We went on a little trail that was suppose to go to a creek....it went to a road. Not cool!

I am in a picture mood so here are some pics....

Our beautiful Lauren....

Miles doing what he loves...Climbing

Taking a break for some food...

Isabelle had to stop every few feet and pick up rocks....

And put the rocks in her pocket...she ended up throwing

them all out at the end....they were "too heavy"

The kiddos

Handsome Miles....

Isabelle was so tired on the way back to the car and just plopped herself down in this field....

Nice Break...

So I did it...I left my kids for the day to go work in the office. First time EVER that I have left my kids to go work. It was very emotional. Especially when Isabelle cried her eyes out as I left her holding her arms out to me and calling my name. Yikes! Not cool.

But she calmed down and I got into my groove into the office and did lots of work. It was nice to be able to put faces to the names of all the patients I had been billing insurance for.

I actually enjoyed it and it was a nice break for me. It isnt something that I would want to do long term and I look forward to finding that "STAR recpetionist".

Updates on us....

I thought I would give some little updates/happenings in the Carlston house....

We got a new bed.....it was quite hilarious seeing Ladd and I get a calif. king size bed that weighed 200lbs up 2 flights of stairs last night...but it was worth it...this bed is amazing. It is a Gel Bed....check it out at http://www.intellibed.com/ We got a great deal with Ladd being a chiropractor. He always has patients asking about beds and this one was recommended by another chiropractor...he had tried all the beds...tempupedic, select comfort airbed and said this one is by far the best. I will let you know in another week if it is all it is cracked up to be....if it is, we will be getting another one to put in the office for patients to try out.

Ladd had to fire our receptionist last week. WE are not having good luck at the front desk lately. We have hired 4 people in the last 4 months....and they have just not worked out for various reasons...this is the first time Ladd had to fire someone...it wasnt as bad as we thought it would be. However, Ladd is more busy then ever and cant go without a front desk person, so until we find that STAR receptionist, I am going to start working and helping him out starting on Monday. We will see how it goes......

Lauren....Is doing great. She is loving school. She is in a gymnastic/tap/ballet class right now and is enjoying it. She has her first little crush (are 7 yo suppose to have crushes?). She is doing great in school and is quite an amazing reader.

Miles....Keeps me busy. I just love this kid. He is all boy! He loves his little sister, even though he teases her to death, they are little buddies and he keeps her entertained pretty much all day.

Isabelle...is as sweet as ever. She is talking more and more and the stuff that comes out of her mouth keeps me laughing pretty much all day. She is so bright, joyful, happy all the time. She is the light of our home right now and is the cutest thing ever! The other day I was changing her diaper and she said to me "Mom, stop it now, I mean it, stop it" I realized she gets that from me...I say it to Miles quite often. The cutest part is she has a little lisp. She will be 2 May 3. I cant believe how time flies...I still feel like I should be recovering from her birth, their is no way she is almost 2. I need to figure out how to slow down time. They are all growing up so fast!

We are quite busy with the office, Acutally ladd is. I dont see much of him these days. He is doing a 3 person job and I am looking forward to finding an amazing front desk person!!!!!

I AM EXCITED!!! I am going on a first ever "sisters trip" with my sisters in 3 weeks to San Diego. Without kids!!! We are staying at some family friends house that we have known since I was 5 and they are right on the beach! This is a much needed trip. My sisters and I have not been together since my dad passed away. My little sister that lost her baby back in September needs this and it will be great to relax on the beach and laugh and eat good food! Woo Hoo!!!

American Girl

Lauren along with her Hannah Montana obsession is obsessed with anything American Girl. I actually prefer this over Hannah Montana....but have learned to let her be herself and make her own choices, blah blah blah.

Anyways....she has the American Girl catalogs and even makes up stories as she looks through the pages of them, will make up new ones every time and has to have someone listen to her while she is making these stories up.

She has been saving her money to get an American Girl doll (because I refuse to pay over a $100 buckaroos for a doll). I had an idea a few months ago...she has all those polly things that were part of the recall just sitting in my closet waiting for me to get around to returning them....and then I thought...hmmmm being the nice mom I am, she could get some money back for those cheapo plastic polly crap and be on her way to getting the American Girl doll that much quicker. So I added it up and it was freaken $102 bucks worth of cheap plastic crap :) So I got my bottom in gear and filled out the paperwork and returned the stuffaroo. Then they sent me stinkin vouchers to use for more cheap plastic crap that had to be mattel brand(with a note that specifically said "couldnt be used for American Girl products"(because Mattel bought American Girl a few years back).....and I was thinkin to myself...oh no, no, no, no.....they are not going to tell me how my daughter is going to use the money they owe her for these choking products and I called them and gave them a piece of my mind and demanded cash back and not a stinkin voucher...they are not controlling me...I was furious and the poor guy on the phone was probably thinking I was a freak! (little word of advice, dont mess with me....I will get my way when it comes to customer service(remind me to tell the story of how I got $30 pizza credit at Garlic Jims when they delivered it late)). He told me he would be right back, and sure enough, he was right back with the address of where to send my vouchers back and when they received them they would send me a check instead.

Long story short...or Long story ending....we got the check and Lauren is getting her first American Girl doll on Tuesday....she is very excited...stay tuned for some pics :)

Zoo

I am just getting around to posting a few pics from our Zoo trip a few weeks ago. I love our zoo here in Seattle. It is a natural habitat zoo, so it is nice to not see animals in cages!!!

Their is a 5 1/2 mth old baby gorilla right now that I think is the absolute cutest thing!!!!! So amazing!

An orangutan was given some paint and toothbrushes and was painting pictures, but then he ate the paint, I tried to get some pics and video, but they didnt turn out. He was even twisting the cap to the paint on and off....Amazing!

We also got to see an elephant being washed with a large "toothbrush" (Miles words)

It was nice to get out and enjoy the beautiful weather we WERE having...Last night it snowed a few inches....Last time I checked, I thought we were in April!

Here are some pics.....

In a little "african" hut

Me playing around with some editing software

Miles loved this "cave"

And the most adorable baby gorilla...my pics didnt turn out great, but you can kind of see her-If you click on the pic, it shows her better.

Temple.....

Our Bishop has challenged every family in our ward to get a picture taken of our family in front of the temple to hang in our home. We did this on Sunday. I feel so very lucky to have a temple so close and to actually go to church on the same property of the temple. I often take it for granted and have realized how lucky we are to have our kids be reminded of it every Sunday as we drive right past it and its beautiful grounds.

I am so grateful that Ladd and I were married in the temple and that we are an eternal family.

Here are some pics of us last Sunday on the temple grounds.....

So Grateful.....

Yesterday, After much pleading, I finally let Miles play out front without my supervision. I made it very clear where he was allowed to play and wasnt allowed to play. I would check on him once in a while and we was always happily playing and paying attention to where he was playing and staying withing the "boundaries". While I was doing the dishes, I felt a distinct impression to "go get miles NOW!" I thought to myself, No, he is fine, just playing and he has been doing great and following the rules. I felt the impression again "GO GET HIM NOW!!!". So stopped what I was doing and with soap all over my hands I ran to the door to check on him. When I opened the door, he was facing me with his back towards the street. Some guy who I have never seen before was approaching him and when he heard the door open he quickly turned around and started walking away very fast.

I dont know what that guy was doing and I do not know what his intentions were in approaching Miles. However, I am eternally grateful for the Lord for blessing me with the spirit and in turn keeping my Miles safe(and grateful that I listened!!!) I love this boy so much and he makes me laugh everyday....and he makes me crazy every day too!!!

Here is a recent pic of him. He is definately all boy!!!! Yes that is mud...he actually came in from playing outside quite clean compared to other days....

My mom is amazing.....

I think my mom is Martha Stewart x10...literally. If she sees something she thinks is cool...she will go home and figure out how to create it. She has taught herself how to watercolor and is on a mission to paint all of the LDS temples....I think they are pretty darn good! Here are just a few of the temples she has done.

Seattle, WA Temple

Bountiful, Ut. Temple

Washington D. C. Temple

Please do not copy these pictures or use them anywhere as they are copyrighted.

If you are interested in having a copy of your own of any of the temples that she has painted, contact me and I will give you her contact info.

The Burning Within...

My mom recommended this book for me to read a while ago when I was really upset about my Dad's passing. I finally decided to order it and started reading it on Monday. This book has changed my life. I literally feel like I have new meaning and have found a new love for Life and living.

It is about a lady who was in a plane crash with her husband and her near death experience....I wouldnt call it near death because she actually really did die and come back to life. Her story of determination and will to live is amazing.

Her story about when she died and what she experienced and learned in Heaven has changed me. I dont want to go into too many details because it is personal and I feel that everyone will have their own experience if or when they read it.

But it continues on with my story and the Savior pushing me to be a better person when I was watching Legacy with my family last Sunday. My testimony of our Savior has increased so much this week and knowledge that He loves and is so very aware of each of us in such a deeper way that we are not able to comprehend.

I think everyone should read this book and if you want to borrow it from me when I am done ( I am only half way done) your welcome to it. Or you can get it used on amazon for about 5 bucks.

Legacy.....

Ladd and I have felt like our kids needed a wake up call lately....about how blessed they really are! They have been saying "Its not fair" a lot lately about everything and anything that they dont like, etc. When actually their life is SO FAIR!!!

We decided tonight that we would watch "Legacy" for our Sunday night activity to give them some perspective. It was the first time they have seen it and it was wonderful to watch as a family.

I had a lot of insights as I was watching it and realized that it was just as much for me as it was for them.

How blessed I am as a mother and wife to have the things I have to keep a home. To have a roof over our heads...a roof I didnt have to make with my own hands. A heater that kicks on when I tell it to and keeps us warm. Carpet that is soft and comfortable for our feet. Vacuums that clean up for me instead of my own darn hands. A mixer that makes me dough for bread in 10 minutes and I dont have to do anything other than put the ingredients in the bowl. A dishwasher that cleans the dishes without my hands. An oven that turns on by the push of a button instead of cutting up wood and starting a fire, etc. Clean running water that is hot or cold within seconds. A toilet that flushes intantly and I dont have to go outside to use it. A car that turns on with the turn of a key and all I have to do is use my weasly little calf muscle to make it go..AND it has a heater that turns on...even air conditioning in the summer...and the doors even open by themself by a push of a button. My husband doesnt have to go off and fight to protect us because of what we believe. I can peacefully live what I believe and believe in Christ with out the fear that I will be persecuted or my house will burn down.

How blessed I am along with my family!

The list continues on and on....

On top of that, I have gained a greater appreciation and desire to be better. As I watched those pioneer women, how hard they worked and how strong their faith was how they took care of their children...I realized I need to be better...and it isnt in a guilty kind of way...it was with the sweet spirit telling me that I can be better, I can do better, I can work harder, I can raise my children better....teach them the gospel more and in turn I will find greater happiness in being a wife and mother and enjoy my children even more than I already do.

I feel the love of our Savior for me as He gently pushes me to want to be better tonight, to be more like Him. I am grateful for the kindness I have felt as I know that He expects more and has shown me this in a way that encourages me to do better.

So my goal this week is to be better, to do more with my children and just BE with them. To keep a cleaner home, to pray more often and have a kinder voice with my children....

Stay tuned for my report next Sunday.

Where's the Sun?

Its the time of year where I am about to jump out of my skin if it rains another day....and right when you think, "if I have to live another day in the rain, I am moving out of this place" the sun comes out and this place is breathtaking beautiful and I say to myself "geez, what were you thinking, the rain is worth it"! It is Gods country up here and I dont know if there is anything that is more beautiful. But we are not going to have one of those "sun saves the day/soul/mind/sanity" days........I was just looking at the weather and the weatherman (btw, the weather man up here never knows what is going on) says it is suppose to snow on thursday! Snow you say? Yes Snow! I know it is Spring. Snow! UGH! no thank you please, go somewhere else. I want to see flowers and blue skies and hear the birds in the morning.

Oh spring where are you?

Here is a pic I found of our beautiful Issaquah surroundings with blue sky....I will post my own beautiful spring pictures later with the sun shining....if they ever come :)

I gave in....

So I have been one of those mean moms who wouldnt let my daughter have anything "Hannah Montana" After much pleading with me, I gave in and became the "sucker mom" and let Lauren watch Hannah Montana! Now she lives for it. She counts down the hours to 7 every night when it is on, this is Lauren "Its 6:53, Its 6:54" etc in a very excited voice. And she proceeds to start dancing around the house singing her songs with the words that she knows.

I keep asking myself "Am I a bad mom to give in to this? To give into commercialism, What is this going to do for her self image, self confidence, etc?" I go both ways, saying it is a good thing, atleast she doesnt know Britney Spears exists, on the other hand, she is only 7, ahhhhhh!!!! I don't know....What do you all think?

Oh yeah, Isabelle saw a picture of Hannah Montanna and starting laughing and saying "Hannah otanna" and all excited....I am really doubting my parenting right now.

Happy Birthday Dad!

Today is my Dad's birthday! He would have been 58. It has been a very emotional day and when I think about my dad I lose it and cry like a baby! I wish I could call him today and talk to him on the phone and tell him how much I love him and miss him! He is my hero and before I lose it again, thats all I can say!

Happy Birthday to the best dad ever!!!!

Twilight, Twilight, Twilight.....

So most of you know I am obsessed with the books by Stephenie Meyer, Twilight. If you have not read them yet, you need to(yes even you Melynda)! I am apart of twilightmoms.com and met with a bunch of ladies up here in the NW yesterday for lunch down in Vacouver. Yes I drove 3 hrs each way just to have lunch with them. It was great to share my eat, sleep, drink obsession with them. We were lucky to have some of our Twilightmom insiders at the lunch yesterday and she took us to the place where the baseball scene is being filmed.....here are some pics of us after lunch.

Tag Time

I was thinking I was going to get around getting tagged......guess not

Here Goes...

Ten Years Ago....

I dont know if I can think back that far...Lets see. I was in a really bad car accident...we were hit twice, rolled a few times and then hit a tree and landed on my side of the car, thank goodness for the tree or we would have kept rolling. One of my sisters kids was ejected and I remember getting out the back window that shattered wondering if we rolled over him...not a good time. I was 18 and determined to go to NY and model and then prepare to go on a mission. I met Ladd 2 months later and things change when you meet the right one...I guess I couldnt say "um, could you hold on while I grow up and we can get married later?" We were married 4 mths later.

Five Places I have lived....
1. Issaquah
2. Provo
3. Salt Lake
4. Snohomish
5. California (Bakersfield, San Marcos, Pleasanton, Hayward) Pleasanton was my favorite

5 things on my to-do list...

1. Get off this stinkin computer
2. Play and Laugh with my kids
3. Get tickets for San Diego for a beach trip with my sisters in May
4. Post and bill insurance for the office.....ugh (I cant complain too much, its what brings in the money)
5. Clean the bathrooms....(I think I have been putting it off way too long)

What I enjoy...

Lots of things. I enjoy chocolate...I love this time of year because of Cadburry Mini Eggs, my mom got me addicted growing up. I enjoy watching my kids get along and play nicely, reading, a warm shower (it is the one time I dont hear my kids whining at me, usually), picking up Lauren from school and talking with her about her day, watching my kids laugh, Ladd, and Sleep! Their are lots more but I am sick of thinking of all of them. Lets move on.....

Two Bad Habits...

Only 2? I have way more than 2.

1. Spending too much time on the computer
2. Eating too much chocolate

5 things you might not know about me...

1. I am a massage therapist...or use to be, havent given a massage for a few years, but I do give a darn good massage when I do.
2. I am a dance freak. I love dancing. I use to get up on the stage and dance in front of everyone at church dances. Why is it that when you get married, it seems you are not allowed to dance anymore? Oh well, I just dance with my kids during the day.
3. I cant kneel and pray by my bed if it is dark...it freaks me out, just cant do it. Ever since I watched Twin Peaks growing up...stinkin show.
4. I was Senior Class President in highschool....I was crazy, loud and fearless.
5. I am obsessed with the Twilight books by Stephenie Meyer.

5 Jobs I have had...

1. Cook for a daycare (my worst job, I was 14 and woke up at 5:30 every morning in the SUMMER and cooked food by MYSELF for 100 kids and then cleaned up their yucky mess all over, did the dishes and started lunch, cleaned up and then sometimes they asked me to clean the bathrooms, and only got paid 5 bucks an hour, UGH!)
2. Massage Therapist at this really nice spa next to Stanford in Palo Alto...I got really nice tips!
3. Chiropractic Assistant while Ladd was in school
4. Mobile Home Park Asst. Manager...yeah, dont laugh, it really was a nice mobile home park and we got free rent and utilities and a paycheck (and Ladd got to drive one of those golf carts all around the park)
5. Apartment Manager...same thing, but better, the owner owned a chocolate company in San Francisco and he would bring the best chocolate ever, time off when ever I needed and He was just a really nice guy!

Now I have to tag 5 people.....I think everyone else has been tagged....So I am not doing this part....hopefully it isnt like those lame emails you get that say not to break the chain or else....oh no, I am getting scared.....

Remote Control Car

The other day I found Miles breaking apart his REALLY nice remote control car. He said it wasnt working anymore...I said "well yeah, now that you totally broke it apart".

My brother is visiting from Florida with my mom and he and Miles decided to further ruin this perfectly nice remote control car and make a box remote control car out of it. They went down into the basement with it all in pieces and came back up 1/2 hr later with this..........

(be sure to watch the 3 second video below the pic)

My Man

I am feelin bad for giving all the love to my kids and not to the man in my life....So here is to Ladd....he is more than I ever imagined and has by far exceeded my dreams!

Thanks for working so hard and loving me and the kids the way you do! You are the best!

Lauren

I dont even know where to start with My Lauren. She continually amazes me everyday. (do I sound like a broken record?) I just put her back in school and it has been wonderful for her and ME. I am glad I homeschooled her for the time I did....but she was ready to go back to school. She has a wonderful teacher that I dont think could be more perfect for her. Her teacher has made a great effort to help her get to know the kids in her class and she has already made some good friends.

She is an amazing reader, speller, and writer. She is a wonderful big sister and loves her siblings so much. The one thing she dosesnt like about school is missing out on playing with Miles and missing any "cute things" Isabelle does during the day.

She is always happy, bright and full of energy. Her testimony is amazing and I am so grateful for her desire to learn of her Heavenly Father and pray to him.

She is obsessed with anything Americian Girl and is saving her money so she can get the Mia doll. She is excited now for the polly recall so she can get money to save for Mia.

She is taking a class right now that is a mixture of ballet, tap, and gymnastics and is really enjoing it.

I just love her! Here are some pics......

Lauren and ME

With her cousin Bethany last weekend in Utah

With her Cousin Bryn in Utah

Lauren loves being with family, especially her cousins when we go to Utah, which we seem to be doing a lot lately.

Miles

I cant talk about Isabelle without talking about my other 2 amazing people that live with me! I will talk about Miles first....He is still the energetic Miles that he has always have been, but I must say he has calmed down quite a bit. I often have to remind myself about how he was when he was 2....I remember calling my mom on the phone and saying that he was every reason why I was afraid to have a boy. I love my Miles, he is my little boy and always will be. Their is something special between a mom and her son. He is an awesome brother (when he isnt teasing Isabelle) His new thing to say is "bull" when I say something he doesnt like, "thats unbelievable", "Incredible", "Freaken Amazing"(he gets that from his dad), and "Crap".

The other day I found him hiding behind corners and running around the house. I ran after him to see what he was doing as he was bookin it up the stairs. When he turned around he was mad at me and said "Mom I am a spy and you are not suppose to talk to me" I had to take a picture.

Miles loves his dad and thinks he can do anything (what little boy doesnt feel that way about their dad?) He and Lauren still love to play together, however as Lauren is getting older and more "mature" as she would put it, they tend to argue a bit more. Here are some pics of my boy that I am so in love with....

One of his favorite things to do....climb trees

When I tell him to say cheese for the camera

Holding his newest cousin....Landon

In his "spy" outfit

Isabelle

I am home from church with Isabelle today....she is sick. So while I have some quiet time without the other kids, I will try and catch up on my posting.

I just have to talk about my sweet little Isabelle. It is like Christmas every morning when she wakes up. We can't wait to see her. She is heavenly. So happy all the time. Days get more fun with her now that she is talking....one of her common things to say is "I dont know" when we ask her something, especially when we ask her where she put something. And her most favorite thing to say is "why" to everything we say to her. She is pure joy. We think she is the cutest thing alive on the earth today. She has become Miles little buddy and it is adorable to hear her say his name because she has a little lisp, she follows him around the house and adores him.

So I know we are her parents and are suppose to think that every little thing she does is adorable...but...she really is! Here are some recent pics of her....

With Miles guitar boots on

Wearing Miles hat

Little Buddies

My Dad

My dad with Lauren when she was a baby (Looks like Isabelle)

Tomorrow it will be 4 years since my father passed away. I cant believe it has been that long. I remember it like it was yesterday when I was by his bedside and he passed through the veil back to our Heavenly Father. He was only 54. I still have days where I think it was all a dream. Not a day goes by that I dont think about him. What I would do to hear his loud deep voice just one more time. Or see him singing in French or Italian(I think it was a mixture of both languages) while making some new creation in the kitchen...My dad was the most amazing cook and would just find whatever was in the fridge and make some amazing dish, that was never the same as the last dish he made. Or hear him say one more time "Girls, get in hear" to me and all my sisters. My dad is my hero...he worked so hard his whole life so I could have a roof over my head. He would work well into the night many times just to get a job done (he was a carpenter) so my mom would have money to buy us food. I love my dad and I cant wait for the day to see him again. He was such a spiritual giant and knew so much. I could always call him up to ask him a question and he would always know the answer. Thank you Dad for all you were to me and for being the best role model and example and for loving me and my sisters and brother and my mom so much!

The shoes we wear.......

I was lucky to be in charge of a skit today for our visiting teaching conference at church(ok, not really lucky). I found a skit on the web and tailored it to our ward, It was about the different "shoes" we wear as Visiting Teachers. I asked a friend, Kimberly to be apart of it, and luck would have it she had done this skit previously and had the shoes to go with them. I about peed my pants when she pulled out these shoes yesterday at our practice. I was the lucky one to wear them, and I did almost fall over a couple of times. It was a great laugh and added great humor!

Thank you Kimberly(especially for the shoes), Melynda, Anna, Ginny and Elin for being good sports and making this a hit!

Another pair I wore......

My new favorite

Ladds sister visited us last weekend and introduced me to Havarti cheese with dill! Oh my goodness. If you are a cheese lover, you need to try this. I had it on thin crisp triscuits!

Yum Yum Yum!

Need to profess my love!

So Ladd left this morning for a seminar. He wont be back until Sunday night. I hate these seminars that he goes to because he is gone and I just dont like it. On the other hand, I love them because he always comes back smarter and with renewed energy for helping his patients and the practice. As I sit here tonight missing my man that I love so much, I felt the need to tell the whole world. How cheesy! But I am so in love 9 years later. Never knew I could be more in love with him today then I was on our wedding day.