christmas Eve

The awesome Jelly Bean Jumper!





We spent Christmas eve with Travis' parents, and this was their big gift to the kids, it was sooo much fun! It is the material of a pool raft, and just bouncy enough to burn some energy without being dangerous. The kids fully approved!

Beginnings of Christmas

Our attempt at a family picture after doing our christmas cookies!

Logan trying to eat the cookies :0)

My proud girl displaying what we did!


A few days before christmas my mom and dad came over with sugar cookies that my mom had already baked, and the kids had a BLAST icing them and putting sprinkles on them! We even brought out the m&ms and other stuff we had! They were very Yummy :0)

tagged!

I was tagged by Becky, here is the 4th photo from the 4th folder! It is Julie combing Logan's hair after I had him buzzed! Logan was about 7 months old, and Julie was 2.

A Very Carr Christmas

Julie and I made a gingerbread house!!!

Church clothes

More Christmas Church clothes



Here is what we have been up to lately :0)
Wishing you a blessed holiday season!!!

Faithful Fridays

Here it is, the post about my hearing loss! Many of you who grew up with me or who already know about my journey can skip this post!

I have decided to write this mainly for journaling purposes, and for my bloggy friends who may know, not know, or have questions about it. In the last 5-6 years or so, my hearing loss has become a very private issue for me. I am not really sure why, but I just don't talk about it anymore. This is strange/new for me b/c growing up I was incredibly open about it and shared my story with many people. I think as I have gotten older, I feel like I internalize a lot of my feelings about this and cope in a completely different way. So here is my story:

When I was baby, during one of my many ear infections, my eardrum burst and bled some. My mom looked down and saw some blood coming out of my ear and panicked b/c the doctor's offices were closed, so she took me to the emergency room. A doctor there made a huge mistake and put silver nitrate in my RIGHT ear. The reason this was really bad is because silver nitrate causes scar tissue to grow rapidly and should only be used in large skin wounds. (not to be used in any small openings/orafaces!) My mom knew something was very wrong, because I was in a lot of pain. She called my ear nose and throat doctor that night, and he was so worried he asked my mom to meet him at the office on a sunday morning. He ran some tests and this is when we found out I was completely deaf in my LEFT ear, and the doctor had put silver nitrate in my RIGHT ear. The doc told my mom he wasn't sure what would happen with that right ear, but it didn't look promising. He told my mom we would have to wait and see what happened. So basically this is looking like two bad ears for me!!!
As time went on, my mom, bless her heart, noticed I was exhibiting all the signs of a deaf child. I had my own language that only she could understand. I repeated things over and over and over as if to make whatever was said make sense in my brain. I always wanted to sit 2 inches from the television screen. She said to me once, that she would sit in a room and cover her ears and rock back and forth to try to get a better perspective on what I was going through.

I began speech therapy soon after that, and went to see an audiologist on a very regular basis. I was fitted with a hearing aid, in my right ear (my left ear is nerve damage and can never be fixed, but my right ear is a conductive loss, meaning one of the bones doesn't transmit the soundwaves, so I need tons of amplication to make things louder)I remember having to sit in front of a tape recorder and "learn" all of those sounds I missed that most kids pick up on as part of their daily lives. I had to learn the phone ringing, the doorbell, someone knocking on a door, chicken frying, dogs barking, police sirens, ect... the list went on and on! I remember my sweet mom working with me for hours and making a game out of everything so I could catch up! I started kindergarten on time and went to Harding (parents chose this b/c of carpeted classroom to absorb background/extra noise!) I was never taught sign language because they thought i wouldn't learn speech and only depend on signing (a lot has changed in 20 years about that, now we encourage babies to sign and speak) I was what they called completely "mainstreamed."
On to the summer before my senior year. After a rough spring with an ear infection and a lot of congestion, I lost a lot of hearing. It was like I woke up one day and it was gone! Many of the specialists I grew up seeing were really perplexed and basically had no answers. I was really really frustrated at this point. They basically wished me a nice life and lots of luck! It was then when I realized that this was huge to me. I had lived my whole life taking what little hearing I had for granted. I was terrified of waking up and being completely deaf. what would happen? I was mainstreamed, so i had no resources for living in a "deaf world." I wouldn't fit in anywhere!!! My wonderful parents encouraged me to continue living my life as i normally would, and they would be there to help and support me whatever happened. I went ahead to college, entered nursing school, and met the man of my dreams :)

Trav really encouraged me when we were dating to find out all of my options for my hearing loss. We went to a specialist who said that he could put in a prosthetic ear bone to fix whatever earbone wasn't conducting sound through my right ear, and I wouldn't have to wear a hearing aid ever again!!! The only catch was that there was a 10% chance I could wake up from surgery and be completely deaf. It was a risk. I toyed with the idea for 2 years. And went for it.
The summer before my junior year of college, I had surgery. When the doctor got in there, he found that I had no Stapes bone- that is the one closes to the nerve (there are 3 middle ear bones, the malleus, the incus, and the stapes-in that order)and where my stapes bone should have been, my facial nerve was sort of drooping down, and if the doctor had touched that nerve, I would have been completely paralyzed in my face. So he pulled out and was finished. Just him shining the light on my facial nerve caused me to loose my sense of taste and sense of smell on the right side of my face. the taste sense came back after about 6 months, the sense of smell... I am still waiting :0) When I woke up from surgery, my mom, my dad and travis were all surrounding me crying. my mom mouthed the words (I am a pro at lip reading) and I cried too. for a long time. It was real then. I was going to be this way for forever, and how long would i get to keep what little hearing I have? Hearing aids can only help so much...
I remember feeling frustrated in social situations, and my sweet Travis would be my ears. I used to be embarassed that he had to help me, but now I love him all the more for being so willing to "hear" for me. We truly are a team! He has been so wonderful through this whole journey and I thank God that he is my husband.

So here I am. hearing impaired. Some days I don't ever even think about it. There are other days when it is all I can think about. I prayed to God that I would get to hear my babies voices and what they sound like, He has granted me that. If I wake up tomorrow with no hearing, I know what my babies voices sound like- they are branded in my brain! :0) I am now praying that I can still hear them as teenagers and have long conversations with them. I am faithful that God has a purpose for my hearing loss, the hard part is that I think I haven't let go of it completely and given it over to God because I am afraid of what will happen. I am working on it, and i am thanful for God's patience with me. I am coping better I think, I am not angry anymore about it, or confused. I feel at peace, and I take one day at a time.

Christmas Jammies

I have started the tradition every year to have matching PJ's for the kids! I couldn't find any really cute gender neutral this year, so I found the same print with different color back ground. We had a blast putting up our christmas tree, both kids helped :0) It has been so fun seeing christmas in Julie's eyes, it is so magical and exciting! Logan is still a little young to understand completely what is going on, but he gets really excited with Julie and they are so cute to watch. Happy Holidays!!!

Wonderful Wednesdays...

Gimme Kiss Logan!!!!

**Hugs**

Cheese mom! :0)


Please note: Rare photo opportunity!!!! The kids were being so sweet with eachother and I grabbed my camera and they were still being sweet even while I was trying to get their picture! I used to advise people not to have their kids as close in age as mine are (about 22 months) because that first year is so hard! But now, I absolutely love that they have eachother. They are playing better and Logan is learning a lot from his SEESEE. (it went from zeezee to seeesee) They warm my heart when they are being sweet to each other. I have to say my favorite thing lately is them holding hands in their carseats! Here is Julie's latest funny:
Yesterday, as I was getting her dressed, I told her we were going christmas shopping for Grammy and Pap. (my mom and dad) Her eyes lit up and she was ready! As we pull up to Bass Pro Shop, Julie says, "mom, this is NOT the Christmas store. It is over by the mall. Why are we going this way?" I explained that we were getting a present for under the tree, and it didn't have to be an all out christmas store to get actual presents for under the christmas tree. She then says, "oh man, I wanted to go to hobby lobby!!!"

My Birthday

I had my birthday last week (the big 28!), and even though i was sick on the actual day, it was still wonderful because I have the most amazing hubby, parents and friends ever! So here are 28 random things that you may not know about me.

1. I was born November 13th at 10:07 a.m. to Rick and Pam Logan
2. I have been told my whole life that I am a child of God- thanks mom :0)
3. I will always be daddy's little girl and mommy's little angel
4. I have negative associations with elementary school- it was such an awkward time in my life!!!
5. I have allergies-like I am allergic to EVERYTHING! haa haa!
6. I have asthma
7. I have had a near death experience
8. I am hearing impaired, completely deaf in my left ear, and I wear a hearing aid in my right ear- (this is another post for another day :0)
9. I was a cheerleader in high school
10.I was a tumbler on my cheerleading squad
11. I cannot dance well-hence why I was always in the back or tumbling during the dance routines in cheerleading! Haaa haa!
12. I wear glasses/contacts
13. I love to sleep in long johns
14. I actually enjoy duck hunting with my daddy
15. as a child, I went to church with Justin Timberlake- he was the nerdy kid that ate the play dough, and no i didn't really like him then!!!
16. I require at LEAST nine hours of sleep to function, and prefer to get 10 hours
17. I have high cholesterol- 230 last time it was checked! (yes i keep an eye on it)
18. I am a Registered Nurse with a Bachelors degree-worked darn hard for it!!!
19. I only do Pediatric nursing
20. I love running with a passion
21. I love to shop, but seriously what girl doesn't?!
22. I am an AVID reader, I have read a 400 page book in one night!
23. I am very afraid of spiders
24. I am only child-and yes I love being an only child, my parents are my best friends!!!
25. I dye my hair brown.
26. I do NOT do the finances at our house. I would rather not know...
27. I have the most amazing children and consider them the most awesome blessing I have ever received from God!!!
28. I have an amazing husband that continues to bless me in our marriage- he keeps me grounded, loves me with all his heart, tells me so often, is my main support in all I do! AND I love him with all of my heart!

The Wedding

Mommy and Julie in our pretty dresses!

The Princess getting a lot of attention

Logan (my sweet baby boy)

Julie and Grandma Bonnie


Julie and I had the honor of being in Justin (my cousin) and Kristen's wedding! They are the sweetest couple and we wish them the best, we love you!
So here are the pics as requested!!! The wedding was beautiful, and after lots of bribing and coaxing, Julie walked down the aisle!!! She was such a beautiful flower girl, and I was so proud of her for being a big girl and walking down that aisle by herself even when she wasn't feeling good! (she was sick with the stomach bug 2 days earlier) Julie had a BLAST dancing at the reception and thoroughly enjoyed the wedding cake :0)

He's 2!!!

Eating his birthday cupcake

Mommy and Julie at lunch

Look mom, I put my trains together!

Sweet Julie telling Logan happy birthday!

This is Logan's cheese face!


Logan turned 2 on Saturday! We had his Lightening McQueen birthday party at our house on sunday because Julie and I were in a wedding on saturday! The pictures are from our day sunday. He got so many wonderful new toys and presents, He loves his Harold the Helicopter(from Thomas the Train) the pack of matchbox cars, his tonka airplanes, and his caterpiller dumptruck the best(it the loudest-hee hee)
I must admit that I am in shock that 2 years has flown by so quickly! We have had so much fun getting to know his sweet personality. I cannot begin to express how much I love this little boy! He is growing up so fast!(***Sniff***) He has filled all of our lives with such joy with his sweet grins and soft pats and hugs. He is the most affectionate child ever, and we are so thankful for his sweet spirit. We love you Logan!

So God can clean....

A quick Julie song. The other night we were watching the greatest hits of Veggie Tales songs and Julie is a pro at singing along. One of our favorites is "Stand Up." it goes: "Stand up, stand up, for what you believe in, believe in, believe in God He's the one to back you up, He'll stand with you!!!" So here is Julie's version: "Stand up, Stand up for what you believe in, believe in, believe in God, He's the one to Vacuum up! He'll stand with you!!!" Travis and I were CRACKING UP! We asked her to repeat the song again and again because it was so hilarious!

tagged...

Julie at her first birthday!


So I was tagged by Morgan, to pick the 6th file and the 6th picture in our computer picture files! So here it is! Julie was running a 101 fever that day and was very clingy, and as you can see Barney's bottom is in the picture, because this was her favorite security item. That purple dinosaur went EVERYWHERE with us :0) She has grown up so much!

I tag: Sonya, Bridget, and Karla!

Sweet Logan

That's right people, Barbie sunglasses are unisex at the Carr house!

Daddy decided to join in on the fun :0)

Logan lookin' super mischeivious!

Sweet snugglies!


Logan has been warming our hearts lately with his pats, hugs, kisses and grins! His new thing is to say "No" to everything (sounds like he says new instead of no...) even if he means yes. He is also starting to finish some of our phrases, songs, and lines in favorite books! Usually only Julie and I can understand him though. He is still very behind in speech, so I am reading to him more than ever and asking him to repeat me- which he only does about 30% of the time. I also point to things and say, "what is that, Logan?" He usually answers but it is very garbled, so I repeat him clearly and say "That's right, Logan, that is a tractor(or whatever I was pointing to)." But we are trying! He is so precious and I love to see him watch Julie with so much intensity. He just wants to keep up with her. He is loooooving school and loves his teachers. He will be turning 2 very soon, so be looking for more fun birthday pics!

Uh oh.... what have I started?!

Here is a picture of our coffee mugs, side by side, per Julie's request!


So one morning I was drinking one of my many cups of coffee and julie says, mommy, I need some! So I pulled out one of the tiny coffee cups that came with all my dishes/place settings. I only put a little bit in and added lots of milk with a tiny bit of sugar, and BAM! she was hooked. Just about every morning she gets her coffee. Well, she takes after her daddy in most everything else, so she can be a little coffee drinker like her mommy, right?! She is very good at keeping it on the table and not spilling it! I will leave you with her latest funny:

So after homegroup last night, Julie and I were "recapping" the evening and she was telling me about playing with her friends. She told me she was playing with Jamie and Erin and she "shot em'." I gasped and said, "what? umm.. what did you shoot them with?" (I was prepared for her to say a gun of course...) when she says, "you know, they were pretendin to be sick and I gave em' a shot, ya know, I shot em'!!!" Travis busts out laughing from the other room, and I was totally relieved! haa haa!
Whew! that was a close one :0)

I promise, more posts about my sweet Logan are comming!

The one stop shopping center...

Hooooray! I wanted to share with my fellow bloggers, Wal-Mart has started listing on their products if they are gluten-free or not! The FDA has passed a rule that all foods have to list if they have gluten in them along with the other common food allergies such as wheat, soy, milk or peanuts and ect. by the year 2009. Wal-Mart has gotten a jump start on this! I am now starting to find more and more gluten-free products there, and I have been so thankful because Wal-Mart is definitely cheaper than Whole Foods! They are definitely on my weekly grocery run :0)

Lebonheur Pumpkin Run

I ran in the pumpkin run this past saturday! It was perfect weather, and I had a blast! This was the first race that Travis and the kids came out and supported me in, and they had fun eating all of the free food and playing in the moon bounce! It was so fun running across the finish line with my very own cheerleaders yelling for me and waving! I would have some pictures, but after we discussed it, I didn't want Trav to have to keep up with it while juggling our 2 kiddos (okay okay, I didn't want to risk him losing the camera or dropping it!) Travis said that he would like to run it with me next year if we can get our parents to come with us and play with the kids while we run. So I think the pumpkin run will be a yearly Carr family tradition!!!

Oh so very grown up....

I love this picture b/c you can barely see travis smiling at her in the background mirror!!!
Well.... I have to admit, Julie is growing up so fast that I could cry! It has been so amazing to see her grow and change and we are really enjoying our conversations with her, she is so much fun! She is really starting to figure out that she really cares about what her friends think of her. Earlier this week I had her blue jeans laid out and her Ariel shirt and she says, "ummm I don't like blue jeans." I say, well, you always liked them before... why not today?" She says,"Neely(one of her friends at school) doesn't like them." So I told her, well I know you do like them, and your wearing them because this is what I have laid out and we are in a hurry!!! she says, "okay, okay mister bossy!" hmmmm.... then yesterday, I go to fix her hair, and she says, "mom, I really need a ponytail today!" (She NEVER wants her hair this way!) I say, "So how come you want to wear your hair in a pony tail today, does it get in your way at school?" She says, "No, Karlie(her other side-kick at school) likes to wear her hair in a ponytail." hmmmm So it already begins! aaaaah! so grown up! I will leave you with her latest funnies :0)

We were eating lasagna the other night (you know, spagetti with extra cheese....) and Julie says, "Well, it is NOT delicious, or adorable, but I guess I will eat it!" well alrighty then!!!

Logan is squirming while I change his diaper and gets a mess on the clean one. I say to Julie, "sweetie, can you run and get me a clean diaper for Logan?" she says "weeeeelll, not right now, but don't worry mom, when I grow up, I will help you change bubby's diaper allll the time!"

Julie walks into the kitchen and asks to help me cook. So I get the chair and she is helping me and she asks to stir the fried okra, and I say "well, you need to be a little older before you are around the stove." She says, "Mom, I am old."

Have a blessed week!

This is for you Cindy!!!!

These are 2 of my very dear friends Cindy and Bridget! They are the Sweetest people you would ever meet (of course they are sweet and wonderful, they are friends with ME!! heee heee) cindy you are now officially famous and have your picture on the world wide web! I love you girls!

"Arrrrrrr.... MATEY!!!!"

Can you see Logan's poor swollen fat lip :(
Sweet Julie loving her bubby
Cheeeeeeese!!! He looks bigger than her in this picture!!!
Sweet precious smile!!!!!


So on Friday of last week, I felt like the little kid in that book, The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Did you ever read this book as a kid?! It is about a kid who wakes up and the mom gave the last of his favorite cereal to his brothers, then they go to the shoe store, and his brothers get their favorite shoe and the store doesn't have the kids size in the shoe he wanted, so he had to get the ugly ones.... and so on and so forth, he just has "one of those days". you get the picture! That was my day on friday, but I have to admit, the kids were pretty good!
So I woke up feeling like junk, I knew I had bronchitis, (I wont gross you out and tell you what color the stuff I was coughing up was...-that is for you bridget, hee hee) I spilled milk all over the floor, stepped on a matchbox car and got a puncture wound on my foot (did not curse or scream though i felt like it... just cried silent, painful tears!) Logan then falls, busts his lip, and as I pick him up praying that his teeth are still intact (they were) he shoves his head in that space between my neck and shoulder where all my hair is and gets blood EVERYWHERE! Rats! now I have to wash my hair before my 2:30 doctors appt. But through all of this, Julie was my little ray of sunshine! She came up to me at while I was resting for one of my 10 second bouts before motherhoood would call yet again and said, "AAAARRRR Matey! Can I please be a pirate and play in the basket?!" It was a basket of clean clothes, so I was like, sure!!!! have at it! It bought me about 45 minutes of awesome rest, and of course I took pictures!!! She was so sweet to Logan and "helped" me take care of him, so sweet :0)

Look at my Babies!!!

Mommy and her babies, they are getting so big!!!!
Daddy giving Logan his nightly breathing treatment. Logan is about to doze off!
Look at how long her hair is! It is still wet from her bath :0)


So here are some pics as promised! The first picture is right after their bath, and they both wanted to sit in momma's lap! I was in hog heaven :0) The kids have done really great at getting used to "school" and what all of that involves. We are gearing up for a very busy fall and holiday season with showers, birthday parties and weddings! Julie has loved getting to go to all of these events, as they all usually involve cake and/or icecream :0)
A few of her latest funnies:

I say, "If I see you doing that again, then you are going to time out and getting a spanking." Julie says, "well, just don't look at me then!"

Julie says in the car, "So mom, when you gonna teach me to drive?!"

I say, "Julie, I am so sorry you chose to disobey me, this is why you went to time-out." about 10 minutes later she says, "Mommy, I am so sorry you chose to be ugly to me."

we went to a princess birthday party where the kids were supposed to say their names and their favorite disney character. Julie says, "uuuummm, my name is Julie, and I really love to just hop on one foot!" haaa haa! okay.....

Logan is jibber jabbering up a storm and increases his vocabulary each day! He went to the pantry the other morning and pointed and said, "eeeetooos!" I told him no, we don't eat cheetos at 9 o'clock in the morning! Little stinker :0)

We are having a huge problem with sibling rivalry right now, as it comes in waves here and there. It really helps to separate them for awhile after a fight, then find something to do that involves everyone. I am an only child, and am shocked speechless at how quickly they can go from huggy kissy to fighting and hair pulling! All of my friends assure me this is normal, but I am still not used to it! I actually had to yell at them the other night, don't touch him, don't look at her! you sit there, you go to your room! It was crazy! I would love to hear some suggestions on how to deal with this in a more effective way for an almost 4 year old and an almost 2 year old! Any ideas?!

Recipe for Kick Butt Rotel

1 16 ounce pkg of Velveeta cheese, cut into very small cubes
1 can original Rotel (can get hot/spicy if you like it like that!)
3 tbsp milk
1/2 lb very lean ground beef
1/2 cup salsa
3 tsp garlic powder
salt pepper to taste

cook ground beef on medium high, during cooking add 1/2 cup salsa ( I like the pace picante sauce in mild) 3tsp garlic powder, salt/pepper. When meat is done, set aside.
In a sauce pan add velveeta cubes, 3 tbsp milk, can of rotel (do not drain). stir constantly until melted, add meat, and stir some more. put heat on low when all of cheese is melted, serve with your favorite brand of corn chips and enjoy!
Trav and I will have this for dinner every once in awhile, we loooove it!

Ten things I have done in last ten days....

1) Run, run, and run some more!

2) Read a 450 page novel

3) Had lunch and a manicure with my awesome friend Bridget! She is the best!

4) Found out that one of my friends, Laura, is having twin girls! How fun :0)

5) Held Logan for an hour in the middle of the night to get him back to sleep, and snuggled him close and breathed in his sweet little scent!

6) Played with my kids for 2 hours strait at the park

7) Listen to my poor sweet hubby cough and cough at night as he is recovering from a cold

8) Trav and I ate a whole thing of my Kick Butt Rotel Cheese Dip for dinner one night! so yummmy....

9) Held an abandoned 4 day old newborn and prayed that a wonderful family would adopt her

10) Gave Julie a manicure and a pedicure!

We have had a very fun fast paced week, and are gearing up for an even busier weekend! Just wanted to randomly catch you all up on what we have been up to! I will post pics soon :0)

Awesome new website....

So my good friend Laura just launched her new business! you HAVE to check it out:


www.forkeepsdesign.com


Love you Laura, Blessings to your new biz!!!

Fun with the RG girls....

You guys are the best! thanks for being so awesome :0)