Tautphaus Park Zoo

last Saturday I wanted to go to the Zoo for my birthday and we just crossed our fingers that the weather would be good. It rained on Friday but when we woke up on Saturday the sun was out and shining in all its glory! I was soooo happy until we actually went outside and realized even though the sun was out, it was still freezing cold! And to top it off, on our way to the Zoo it started to snow! But we were all bundled up and decided just to face whatever weather came our way. It started out pretty nice but by the end it was a downpour so we had to leave the Zoo quickly. All in all it was a nice time though. Carter loves seeing cats and dogs so I thought he would just LOVE the Zoo but it turns out he couldn't care less about the animals. He just wanted to climb on all of the fences and run away from us at top speeds. We went with our friends and their little girl who is Carter age and she sat there in awe looking at all of the animals. She even tried to say their names and was pretty successful at it. Talking? What does Carter care about talking?! There are way too many more important things than learning how to speak! Haha, that is pretty much where Carter is on that. Oh well, I am working on it with him. It doesn't help that he won't sit still for two seconds and learn words with me. He is just too busy moving all over the place and getting into every possible thing he can reach. That is pretty much how he was at the Zoo too. I think it might have been better if there were more animals he could have seen. many of the animals, especially the ones in water, were not out to see because it was too cold for them. Even the alligators, which Kaleb and I love, were not there. :( Tautphaus Park Zoo is the largest Zoo in Idaho.... which sounds really cool, until you stop to think about just how many Zoo's are actually IN Idaho. Then you realize that it is not hard to be the largest Zoo when there are like 3 in all of Idaho :) It still was a fun day that we got to spend with good friends. We will for sure go back when the weather warms up for good!

The lion was sleeping the WHOLE time we were there!

Zebras are my favorite!

This peacock was like inches away from me. It followed us everywhere.

Peacocks are so beautiful! Too bad it was such a dreary day or else its colors would have been much more vivid.

Riding his very own tiger!

Walking with the wild cats!

Riding the chicken with Addison

Looking at the Penguins

Monkey's!!

Kaleb measuring up to an Eagle

Llama llama llamas!
Carter loved looking through this window because it was just his size

LOVED this drinking fountain!

Awe! Holding hands with his good buddy Addison

Good thing he didn't hatch from something this size! It would have killed me

In his cozy little nest

Carter's absolute favorite part was feeding the goats at the petting zoo

He had NO FEAR! He loved them!

We needed a lot of hand sanitizer after this! It was pretty gross

New best friends :)

Another favorite!

Man, these guys can open their mouths so wide! It was kind of scary! They kept pecking at our feet. Good thing we had food to give them!

It may not look like it, but Carter was all the way at the other side of the clearing we were standing in. It was just one of the many times he tried to run away from us. As frustrating as it was, it was kind of cute how he would turn around to see if we were chasing him :)

Looking at more monkey's! My hand covered the flash on accident so Carters face is a little bright.

Ugh, I spoke too soon!

For the past two days its been freezing cold and raining. I shouldn't have been so optimistic about the sunshine! I cursed our good weather! Today at least the sun is out, but its still cold and windy. Oh well, at least our grass is getting watered so it can be nice and green so we can impress the neighbors! Haha, keeping up with the Joneses isn't easy around these parts! I feel bad for Carter though, he has been so used to going outside everyday and now he's been cooped up in doors. He is getting cabin fever and driving me crazy in the process! Lets hope its sunny next week because we are going to the Zoo for my birthday. Carter has never been, but he loves animals so I am excited for him to go. Keep your fingers crossed that the sun will come out and play!

Finally, Some Warm Weather Worth Mentioning! (How's that for alliteration?!)

For months now the weather just has been so stubborn and fickle. One day it will be beautiful and warm, and the next there will be snow covering the ground and it will be FREEZING! The wind doesn't help one bit. But for the past week and a half straight its been in the 70's! It has been so nice in fact that I just can't seem to stay inside! Carter and I have been going on walks and playing in the yard (which is now freshly mowed and rid of all the dead grass that the gross spiders have been living in- yuck!). Our friend Charlotte and her little girl Bree have been playing with us everyday. Bree and Carter are the same age so its been so much fun for him. I love getting out of the house and having another female adult I can talk to and actually hold a conversation with. Its been so nice! I forget how to talk adult sometimes because I am so used to saying all of the baby things Carter says. Here are some highlights of our recently warm days.

Playing in the tunnel

Playing in the other tunnel

Charlotte and Bree

Putting the lens cap back on for me

Taking a swig of his juice. It was hot!

Giving each other hugs

Playing with his balloon kite :)
The twin slides were so much fun

He loved crawling through the tunnels

Playing in the dirt where he didn't think I could see him :)

Lets hope this warm weather lasts. Its time to get out and start the gardening! We are ripping some trees and shrubs out to make a garden and then replanting the trees somewhere else in our yard. We want to make both a vegetable and flower garden and I am excited to improve the look of our yard! It is pretty boring and ugly at the moment. Sometime this summer we want to also redo our deck. It is kind of small and really weather worn. Hopefully we will be doubling its size and re-staining it the color we want. Stay tuned for updated on how that is progressing (or not progressing depending on if we even get around to it!).

4 Days and Counting!

So this week has been completely useless. We leave on Friday for Milan, and I can't focus on anything! My house is a mess, I haven't hardly cooked at all- or at least planned ahead with what I am going to cook it mostly just turns out to be last minute chicken or pasta (pasta... go figure right ?:) I just want to spend all my time engrossed in my plans for Italy! Ugh, it is really bad. I feel bad for Carter! He has gotten to be really good at playing by himself all week because I am reading or on the computer just learning about the places we will visit, or the areas we will be in. If I am this excited, I wonder how Kaleb feels? I keep asking him if he is excited and he just says "of course" and then goes on like its not even that big of a deal. Secretly I know he is more excited than I will ever be. He calls Italy his birthplace. We eat some variation of pasta at least 5 nights a week. He pretty mush considers English to be his second language now, like Italian was in him from the moment he first spoke. He wants to cover one whole wall of our house with a giant Italian flag.... The word obsessed comes to mind and it would be the correct term to give to Kaleb. I think I may be more excited that Kaleb finally gets to go back to Italy, than for me to be going for my first time. I know me and Carter are #1 on his priority list, but #2 would be Italy, and it is a close close race. Actually, #2 would be tied between Italy and computers.... but that is just a side note. :)

We are leaving Carter with my in-laws and I am pretty nervous. Not to leave him with them, but to leave him at all for two and a half weeks! Any suggestions on what I can do to be less anxious about it? I am excited to leave him so that I can have a two week 2nd honeymoon with Kaleb, but I have never left Carter before. I dont want my anxiety affecting the trip at all. And part of me is worried I will never see carter again- like maybe something will happen to him while I am gone. I know that is just silly, but I also think every mom in the world feels that way a little bit when leaving their children. UGH! Give me words of comfort!! haha. I was also worried about me dying and what would happen to Carter, but I feel a lot more at ease now that we have decided who would take Carter and that he would be taken care of and loved. I think most of my anxiety has come from the many many people who keep telling us that we should write a will. I mean, I hear that everywhere I go! I am really not planning on dying, but I guess it is better to be safe than sorry.

As for an update on Carter, last week he has all of a sudden started throwing temper tantrums! If he doesnt get what he wants, his whole body goes limp and he falls to the floor and kicks his feet and screams. I thought this is what terrible two's were like?!! It's not supposed to be terrible 15 month olds! Any advice on how to get him to stop? Nicely?! Haha, not that he has really ever listened to me up to this point. He is pretty much a "my way or the highway" kind of a baby. I just have a hard time finding ways to discipline him since he never listens or cares no matter how I discipline him. And I thought girls were supposed to be the rebellious hard headed ones and boys the sweet and nice ones?! :) Well here are some pictures of Carter since I have never posted any on here.

Lately he has become extremely attached to the binky! I think its because he is getting his molars and he chews on it constantly.

He loves to brush his teeth! His toothbrush is always in his mouth and he always gets the tube of baby toothpaste and brings it to me so that I can put it on his brush. Nothing like good oral hygiene!

The blowdryer is one of his favorite toys. Let me rephrase- the blowdryer when turned ON is one of his favorite toys!

Always making faces.... I dont know if that is a good thing or a bad thing?! :)

One day soon, after I post pictures from Italy and such, I will post pictures of Carter from birth until now. I feel bad I havent put anything on here of him.... But I will! Highlights of his life are soon to come! :)

One Year and Counting- sorry!

Wow! I can't believe it has been more than a year since my last post! So much has changed in that time. Its like we have a whole new life now. 14 months ago, on December 15, 2008 we had our little boy Carter Kaleb Scholes. He is such an energetic little bugger with a personality too big for his little body. I just can't get enough of him! I love everything about him. He is so sweet and cuddly. He knows just how to make my heart melt. Lately he has been becoming so independent and is curious about every single thing. He won't let me do a thing for him- he always has to do it himself. Right now he is figuring out how to blow his nose into a tissue, put on and take off his own clothes, and count on his fingers.

Kaleb works full time at BYU-Idaho and last April 2008 we bought a house in Rigby Idaho. It is our first real home as a married couple and as a family. It has 5 bedrooms, a gigantic yard, and so much room we literally don't know what to do with it all. It is a house to grow in. Although it is definitely not my dream home, it is a great starting place. We live 10 minutes from Kalebs parents which is great so that we can get free babysitting whenever we need/want it and I love living close to family. We are still a 7 hour drive from my family up in Coeur d'Alene but we are working on maybe moving closer eventually? :)

In March we are planning a trip to Italy, Kalebs "birthplace" as he calls it. Anyone who knows Kaleb knows he is obsessed with Italy and ANYTHING that has to do with it. He served his mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Italy and has always wanted to go back. We will be there for 15 days! I am so excited I could just scream. We are not taking Carter with us though. I don't know how I feel about that yet. He is so young I feel like he is going to forget who I am! And of course I am worried something will happen to him while I am gone and I won't be here to help him or that he will feel I abandoned him :( But on the plus side, it will be like a 2nd honeymoon for me and Kaleb. Also, my best friend and her husband will be in Italy at the same time as us, and we will be meeting up in Venice and Rome! How fun will that be?

Well I promise to keep updating this blog from now on. I have felt like I haven't had time to blog, yet all I do is sit around and watch a 14 month old baby run around all day. I know I can squeeze the time in somehow :)

Pumpkin Carving!

So Kaleb and I decided to buy pumpkins this year and carve them out. Little did we know how much of a project it would turn out to be. We went to Broulims and this made Kaleb super excited because he saw how HUGE their pumpkins were. He had never carved a big, or even really a medium sized pumpkin before which I thought was so sad. So, we decided that he just HAD to find the biggest pumpkin he could and it turned out to be over 40 lbs! Mine was only half that size. But he was such a happy boy:) We weren't going to carve them until a few days later so we let them sit in our kitchen while we admired them day after day. On the morning of the big carving day, I decided to gut out my pumpkin early while Kaleb was at work so that we could have some yummy pumpkin seeds to chew on that night. It was probably the hardest thing I have done in a long time! I swear it was the thickest pumpkin I have ever seen! We bought a little carving kit with knives and everything and the knives wouldn't even go all the way through the pumpkin skin. It took me hours just to get the top off and gut out the insides. It made me a little nervous for Kalebs 40 pounder.
Well that night we had a couple of our friends over and the festivities began. Once I got the hang of the knives and the thickness of my pumpkin I was able to carve my cute sexy kitty of a pumpkin and then socialize with our friends. I guess I knew what to expect from my pumpkin because of my earlier adventure, but Kaleb on the other hand didn't. He became so quiet once we started carving which is not like him at all and he had this permanent look of frustration on his face. Not only was his pumpkin twice as big as the rest of ours, but he also had printed off a stensil from online for a Frankenstein Monster face which was pretty hard to carve. In the end it turned out ok but he was so upset at his pumpkin the whole way through. And to top it all off, our pumpkins didn't even last until Halloween! They shriveled up and got looking terrible.
Oh well! It was super fun and an experience we will not forget anytime soon. And we did get a lot of pumpkin seeds out of it which turned out great! Yumm!