:: mid-week getaway!

we just got back from a little overnight stint at the lake with matt's mom and dad. ralph is on vacation this week, so we went down to hang out with the fam. angela came down last night, but she was a looosa, and didn't spend the night. i think she was just mad bc she lost at scrabble. haha! nah, she was traveling to nashville today, so she needed her beauty rest! haha! but we had a great time! and scout enjoyed her first visit to the lake. she can't wait to get her fishing pole wet! haha!

angela slipping scout a little canada dry...


how can you look so cute when you're trying to burp?


pick-up-sticks with papa...


ange, ralph, and me playing scrabble. matt started playing, but he bailed. i ended up winning...the winning word? CLOVEPLY...right, ange?? hahaha!


ralph...making his deadly move...


matt and i camped outside on the dock. scout was safe and warm inside with grandmama and papa. she's not ready for "ruffin' it" quite yet...it won't be long though! haha!


today, we took the canoe out for a spin. it's first time in the water since last summer! it was nice to get back in. matt fished a little while i was the "guide"...haha!


i caught you a delicious bass.


scout hangin' out on a carter heirloom quilt. it was rockin'. matt requested that it be left to him. haha! scout loved it...she had a great time...i think this was the deepest i've ever seen those dimples get! haha!


ralph working on his project. we were teasing him about using duct-tape to secure the pictures to the back on the frame! haha! well, one things for sure, they won't be slippin' around in that frame! haha! you did a good job, ralpho! hope y'all got them hung where you wanted them! i'm sure it looks great!



we left the lake and met up with michelle, weldon, and caleb at cracker barrel in anderson on the way back home. michelle is my cousin, and she and her husband and little boy just moved to anderson from hartsville a few weeks ago. it was great to see her and to meet weldon and caleb. i'm such a dope! i had my camera with me the whole time and forgot to take pictures! ugh! oh well! scout wasn't very sociable and/or eager to meet some of her kin-folk for the first time. she slept the entire time! haha!

scout had a little "tummy time" when we got home on the boppy. she was so funny! it seemed to be just what she needed, because now she is out like a light. i think she tired herself out...haha!



well, it is LATE-thirty and my eyeballs are about to pop out of my head seeings how i didn't sleep very well last night out on the dock. i think i like the security of a tent better than sleeping out under the stars. haha! i woke up this morning to a fine mist pecking me on the face and a very wet sleeping bag. but i was proud of it's performance...i was dry as a bone inside! all of that to say, i'm so sleepy and i MUST go to bed now! night night! :)

:: i've never rolled a house...

...egged a car, saran-wrapped a toilet seat...etc. i never did any of that in high school. not really sure why. i think, one time, it seems like we had the opportunity to roll a house, but i probably chickened out.

well, all of that rebellion, bottled up all of these years, finally came out this weekend. yes, yes...i am guilty of the wrath you see above. i carefully orchestrated the whole thing. matt drove the car. scout sat in the back and kept a watch out for onlookers. and we committed the perfect crime. oh, and did i mention that my mom bought the posterboard? haha!

and here's why...
our apartment complex has been advertising this "fitness center" ever since we arrived here on january 31...and who knows how long before that. the sign is right as you pull into the entrance...it's accompanied by the "sparkling pool" and "business complex" signs. the fitness center has had a "fitness center closed for repairs" sign on it from day one. i've asked the apt manage twice, "so, when will the fitness center be open?"...her response is, "oh, it won't be long! but did you know that you can get a COOP's gym membership for $25?" well, that doesn't really help me out much since i'm not going to take scout into a muscle-head gym...she might get a barbell dropped on her head. i did want to ask why they don't have a sign advertising the COOP's deal, instead of a "fitness center". but instead of doing that, i thought i'd just help them out a bit with their false advertising issue. i must also mention that i'm a bit disgruntled with the maintenence staff here anyways, seeings how i looked out of scout's bedroom window once, only to see the head manager guy, takin' a tinkle less than 2 feet away from the window...let's just say i saw WAY more than i ever wanted to see of a 55 yr old man!! so i figure, if he has time to do that, then he has time to fix the fitness center! UGH! HAHAHA!!

so anyways, here's the best part!! when i left out this morning, my handiwork was gone...eeeek!! i figured. but at least it was up for an entire day. i did it saturday night so it would be up all day sunday since the apt folk aren't here that day...heehee! but this afternoon, when i came back in, they were working on the fitness center!! bwahahahha!! whoohoo! yes, yes, i'm so glad i could help make the world a better place for all!! thank you, thank you! i would also like to thank my husband and daughter...my accomplices. hahaha!

so, now, i must lay low. if i'm the first to use the fitness center, they'll know it was meeee!!! HAHAHA!!

:: 2 months old TODAY!

man! i can't believe that 2 months have come and gone since scout made her entrance into the world! craziness! she is just so much fun and it is so exciting watching her grow! she is a little pistol!

scout met ben and tami for the first time last night! she told tami that she was ready for her to pop that baby out so that she could have a playmate! haha! tami is due next friday, may 12! wheee!!!
last night was also scout's first REAL mexican restaurant visit! she had been to Moe's, but that's not REAL mexicano! haha!

:: scout's a tv junkie

scout discovered american idol last night. we had no idea we'd allow her to be exposed to the trivial matters of the world so early! haha! anyways, she loved it. i think she just liked the fact that it was something on the tv, because we've found that if the tv is on, that is directly where her attention goes! haha!
but it was really funny because she fussed when the commercials came on, and started smiling and laughing and kicking when a.i. would come back on. maybe she thinks ryan seacrest is a hottie. haha!



she must've worn herself out with all of her kicking during american idol. the child slept NINE HOURS last night!!!! whoohoo!!

:: scout mail

i think we're going to see if scout can make an appearance on "who's line is it anyway?"

:: take me out to the ballgame...again

except this time, it was the greenville drive, and not the simpsonville bandits...haha!

we went to the drive game last night with amy and russ. it was really fun! the stadium is super nice...it's a mini fenway park since the drive is the south atlantic affiliate of the boston red sox. it has the green monster and everything...so cool!


so anyways, scout wasn't real impressed as you can tell. she slept her way through all but about 1/2 an inning. haha! but i think she enjoyed the new sites, sounds, and the smell of popcorn and beer...well, maybe not the beer. bud light can really smell like a sewer...hahaha!

:: "i luv my wubbanub!" - scout

here's scout's latest toy...the wubbanub!! compliments of aunt lindsay! haha!!
i think scout is confused by it because it's big enough to be a bottle...and when i give it to her, she just chews on the pacifier...HAHAHA!! but she holds onto the little frog and it is just too cute!!! thanks, lindsay, for a flippin' sweet gift!! :)

:: goodbye blue merle :(

this is something that i was afraid was in the works, but i just found out that it did, indeed, happen.

blue merle has disbanded.

waaaaaaaaah!!

it's unfortunate that they had such a short run. they had HUGE potential!! but apparently had a bad manager or something that just went wrong for them. they even had some tv appearances...the early show, jimmy kimmel live. they may have had more, but that's all i knew of. so it seemed, last summer, that they were about to take off. but i guess they never really got off the ground. boohooey! we went to see them in asheville at the orange peel...then went to see them again at the handlebar in greenville. both times, they put on a great show. they're a lot of fun to watch and i really hate i'll never go to another blue merle show, but i'm glad that i atleast got to see them...and see them twice!

get their cd if you don't already have it. i promise, you won't be disappointed!! you can even download a live show for FREE on their website...http://www.bluemerle.com/main.html

here are some "in memory" pics (hahaha!!) from the orange peel-may 17, 2005...

waiting for the show to start...


luke reynolds


this is actually The Shore's playlist, but it's still a cool picture, i think...haha


luke reynolds again


jammin'

:: to ma + papa's house we go!

matt had the day off today, so we went and had lunch with ma and papa (for those of you who don't know, they are matt's grandparents) they hadn't seen scout in a while, so we took her over for a visit. she had about a 15 minute laughing fit...it was so funny!! papa loved entertaining her and had her laughing hysterically! haha! and ma carried on a conversation with her...scout was cooing and "ahhing" at ma...it was so cute!! ma cooked a rockin' lunch! cube steak w/ gravy, rice, green beans, salad, rolls, and a lemon cake to top it all off! it was soooo good!! scout had to settle for yummy enfamil, with gas drops for dessert, but she didn't seem to mind...hahaha!

:: take me out to the ballgame

we got to go to kaylee's softball game tonight! it was so much fun! those little girls are all just SOOO cute!! it was very entertaining and i was so impressed to see how quickly kaylee has learned all the basics! she's a natural! she hit every time she got up to bat! it was awesome! although, we got there too late and only got to see one of her hits, but it was a GREAT one!! it was scout's first "outdoor activity", other than going for walks outside in her stroller. she had a grand ol' time...slept through the whole thing. haha!! here are some pics of the evening...

"run, kaylee! run!!"


gettin' ready to head home!


and she scores!!! (that's stephen's rear incase you're wondering...haha) she has GREAT running form, do you think??


anticipating that next infield fly...ummmm, kaylee, dear? you might want to turn around!! HAHA!


sunny...kicked back and cheering on her big sister


me, mommer, and scout enjoying the game


the happy smith family...plus one carter...haha


sunny's post-game chow time


gatorade lip!


oh that sisterly love!!

:: good friday

----------------------
"Christ's love is greater than anyone can ever know, but I pray that you will be able to know that love." Ephesians 3:19


It wasn't right that spikes pierced the hands that formed the earth. And it wasn't right that the Son of God was forced to hear the silence of God.

It wasn't right, but it happened.

For while Jesus was on the cross, God sat on his hands. He turned his back. He ignored the screams of the innocent.

He sat in silence while the sins of the world were placed upon his Son. And he did nothing while a cry a million times bloodier than John's echoed in the black sky: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

Was it right? No.
Was it fair? No.
Was it love? Yes.

--excerpt from "The Applause of Heaven" by Max Lucado--
-------------------

this part of the easter message has a whole new meaning for me this year. the relationship of God and Jesus. of course, i've known this all of my life, but it wasn't until now that this has truly been put in perspective for me. of course, i've never seen (and hopefully never will) Scout in the pain and agony that Jesus was on that day, but just the fact that she is my daughter...she is mine. i can't imagine giving her up and turning my back on her as God did that day. i can't imagine what it must have been like for him. it wasn't right...but it gives me a deeper understanding of the love he has for me...his child.

:: this day in 1981

today is lindsay's 25th bday...what a young'un!!

you'll remember lindsay from last year's "upward duck pond/jeff gordon bday party" post.

click here to reminisce

so happy birthday, my pal! and welcome to your "mid-to-late twenties"!! HAHA!

:: time to bust up da flabby

after much deliberation, prayer, and pondering we finally made a purchase today. since going to the gym is out of the question for me now, (babies aren't safe hangin' out in gyms with treadmills and large amounts of weights that could do some harm to an itty bitty body) and matt has turned over a new leaf and is wanting to start weight training, we decided to make a purchase. initially, we wanted a Precor® elliptical...i got hooked on working out on one of those in st louis at the gym at our apt complex. it whooped my tail, but i stuck with it and i know it helped me keep a lot of poundage off during my pregnancy that i would have otherwise acquired. but, when looking into purchasing one, we quickly found that they can really cost some major dough. with baby on the way, and lots of bills to consider, we backed off from getting one right off. so now, we figured, we can get our cardio from walking/running outside, but we need some weight training assistance. and that's where the home gym came into play. matt researched and checked into several options. we pondered the purchase several weeks and today we finally settled on a gym...the Precor® Zuma. it'll be here monday...whee! so watch out...the carters are getting ready to get pumped up!! so, thanks for all of this "i just had a baby" flabby, scout, but i must get rid of it...and get rid of it pronto!! haha!

:: more than a cold :(

welp, turns out scout's "baby head cold" was more than just a cold. it progressed into RSV. (yes, i'm really behind on updating my bloggo, thus this is really old news now...but one day, i will print my blog, compile the pages, and have a record of our life happenings, so you must bear with me as i bore you with this "journal entry"...)

so yeah, by sunday night (apr 2), scout's respirations were 95 and she had a temp of 100.4. the doctor said on friday to call if her resps got above 60 and/or her temp was 100.4. so we called, and the nurse on call said to take her straight to the ER and for us to pack our bags because she was sure they would admit us because of scout's fever. sure enough, after several eventful hours in the ER we were admitted. time spent in the ER sucked...just royally sucked. scout had to have blood drawn, shunts put in her arm for antibiotics, and the poor kid had to have a spinal tap. UGH! it killed us. we did NOT stick around to witness either of those events...we opted to wait in the hall, but it's funny how those curtains don't mask the screams. oh, it was just horrible. okay, i gotta move on...can't dwell on that any longer...

here's a happy scout pic...a couple days later and no more pricks from docs and nurses. just havin' fun chillin' in her hospital bed and being waited on hand and foot!


she stayed in the hospital until wed (apr 5)...which ironically was her one month "birthday". she got several rounds of antibiotics and was on oxygen until tuesday morning. she did great when they took her off of it. she looked great pretty much the entire time. you would never know she was sick from just looking at her...she was quite the trooper...and is just, honestly, a good baby. thank you, Lord!! :)


so it was good to get home with her. we were told at the hospital that we couldn't take her anywhere for another month. quarantined AGAIN...ugh! but!! today she had a check up and the dr said we could take her out...just no crowds and no "stranger" children. haha! we also have to just be really careful with her for the next several weeks. she still has a cough that's pretty rough. poor thang! but she's on the mend and we are just SO glad!!

thanks to everyone who lifted her up in prayer last week! oh, i can't tell you how much it means to us!!

okay, it is now 1:00am...matt is snoring on the couch, and scout is snoring in her room. her 3 hr feeding interval will roll back around at 2:00am, so it'd be nice to get an hour or so of sleep before her little clock kicks in...the clock that tells her to whimper and cry until mom comes and hooks her up with mr. enfamil. haha! hopefully, she'll go a little longer than 3 hrs. "come on, scout..let's shoot for 5 tonight...you can do it!!" haha!

peace out and good night! :)

:: Scout has a cold :(

poor Scout...
she's been in the world all of 4 weeks, and she already has a stupid cold. i guess that's easy to achieve when both of your parentals have both had colds in the past 2 weeks. poor little lamb...(to quote dennis the menace...haha)

i took her to the doctor yesterday after she spent the entire night sounding like a freight train when she was sleeping...she sounded so pitiful.

the diagnosis: baby head cold

the remedy: saline nose drops and the wondrous bulb aspirator


so that has been our pastime for the past 2 days. lucky for me, she doesn't mind the bulb aspirator too much...she doesn't even wake up when i do it when she's asleep...amazing! sleeps as sound as her daddy...like a log.