Taking a Break

So...thanks for everyone's comments and thoughts on my last post. Guess what? I am going to take a break (sort of). I've decided to publish the 3 years I've done posting on this blog for our family...and I am going to "merge" my photography blog with this one, so there will still be plenty of photos and some news about our family - although maybe not quite as in depth. I will save the letters to my children and more personal posts, etc. for my new personal journal. Silly me. The whole world can see how cute they are - but they don't need to know their stats or my personal thoughts to them (not all of them, anyway). I hope whoever has been a follower/reader of The Carters may continue reading along at Little Red Wagon Photography - that's where everything will be from now on. I will keep this blog up a while longer and perhaps do a few more posts to make an official good-bye...eventually. Also, on my new "refreshed/merged" blog - it's still a work in progress and will be for a while - I plan on implementing some things to share - ie if I do a project of interest, I will share more about it so others can join along or get info to do a project etc. I am not planning on making it into a craft blog, either, but just a bit of me. A bit of me as a mom, and as a photographer. The real me. Because, honestly, I do love to blog. I love to share. I love the sociality of the internet and how some of the people who read this blog are my dearest friends, my close family, long-"lost" buddies from High School (I recently found out that one....Vicki!) and some complete strangers. Anyway...enough of my rambling. Carry on!

ps- isn't my girl just darling in her swimsuit? We have a family ritual these days of going swimming on friday nights and having a picnic at a nearby park afterword. It's the perfect way to end the week!

To Blog or Not To Blog?

This is just a funny little shot of Sawyer over the weekend, on location with me for a photo shoot, when a train went by and there he stood: still in his tracks (in the water) gazing in amazement as the train rushed by and the conductor blew the horn for all the kids nearby (is this a run-on sentence, or what?) Anyway, random. A blog post is always better with a picture, so there you go.

Now, the real reason for my post today: I've been thinking a lot, for a long time, about Blogs. How, just like most things in the media category, they can lift up or lower us. Some I find truly to be inspiring, or super useful (ie diy projects) others a complete waste of time. Personally, I feel like blogs are the modern woman's soap opera. I think there is a dangerous line that needs to be drawn. It's like I try very hard not to have my children watch television. For one, we don't actually get any channels (that helps immensely - no tv, well, no problem!) But we do have a television and a DVD player, for the very rare occasion Jacob and I will ever have time to watch a movie (that has happened only once since Aspen was born - when Jacob's parents were visiting we watched The Princess & The Frog, how romantic ;)

Anyway, the point is - Sawyer knows what a movie is and sometimes he begs for one. "Watch a little movie?" He'll say. And sometimes I give in. And if he's sick or it's a yucky day outside and I need to mop the floor or something, I give in. But I try hard not to give in very often. I know there are a lot of you who feel differently than I do about tv viewing, and that's okay. But in our family I prefer that "screen" time is something we do together as a family and only on occasion. It makes it more fun that way. We pop popcorn. We snuggle up together. And then during our average day, we use our minds and imaginations to play together or we load up on vitamin D when the sun comes out and we play outside. Okay, I didn't mean to go off about tv. But I think I made the point that I'm really careful about what Sawyer watches and how much time he sits in front of the tv...right? Well, I have found that I have to be very strict with myself on how much time I spend on the computer (another screen) as well. I enjoy blogging about our family, and for my photography business, I also have a blog. I also have a lot of friends who have blogs. I have even made friends through blogging. One of my very best friends I met by blog-hopping and then she happened to move to my city and wa-lah! instead of being virtual friends, we became real friends. And now we hang out together with our kids in real time.

Anyway...moving along...I have had a few people comment "your life looks like it's out of a magazine. Everything seems so perfect...." (you get the idea). Well, it's not. My life is not perfect and neither am I. Or my children. Or my husband (although he's probably closer to perfection than I am!) These comments honestly made me feel like I should shut down our blog. Or try to be more "real". I mean, didn't you read the small print when at Easter I tortured my newborn daughter by making her sit in a blown-out diaper for 5 minutes in her white Easter dress just so I could take a photo of her? Yeah, not a perfect Mommy. AND I edit almost every photo I post on our blog. And yeah, I tend to focus on the good stuff, the fun stuff - because who wants to hear me complain about how in one month our bank account was drained because of Identity Theft and having to replace our Mac when it died a little too soon, and we had to buy plane tickets to an out-of-state wedding and we were completely stressed out to know someone would actually steal our name and our money? Yeah. No one wants to hear about that - do they?

Sorry this is so long. I have just felt torn lately with how to simplify my life and what is worth my time - and yours. I came across this post (on someone else's blog, of course). And it made me think. A lot.

So I guess my two issues are

1) the strange reason why humans - especially women - compare themselves to other women and weather or not this blog of mine lifts or lowers the spirits of those who read it (and really, does anyone really read this blog? I started it for our family and friends to read and keep up with us - but I am not sure how many are actually following along or if they're all just busy with their own lives. Perhaps phone calls would be better?)

and

2) do I really want to take the time of women from other things that matter more than reading my blog - like playing with their kids instead of letting the tv babysit them while they read blogs? and right back at myself - do I want to continue to devote my precious time to blogging when my children are growing up oh-so-fast right in front of me? I could always go back to journaling the old fashioned way. I do enjoy it. (I have 15 complete journals from the time I was 8 years old until 3 years ago when I started this blog). Or do I consolidate the two blogs I "do" - because really, it is my family and photography which are my passions and they collide just about daily. Hmm.

Any one else have an opinion or something to say about these thoughts?

Please share.

And...thanks for listening/reading :)

Aspen's New Toy

Well, Aspen got a new toy. A new "big girl" car seat, really - but she seems to think it's the greatest thing to suck and gum. It's kinda funny. An expensive teething toy if you ask me!

In our family, we ditch the infant seat around 6 months. It's too heavy for me to tote around, and I generally just take the baby out and hold her close to me anyway. And the ride is higher and more comfy in the big seat. Or so it seems, anyway.

I can hardly even admit that our baby girl is now almost 6 months old...but at the end of the month that will be the truth. Yikes! Anyway, it's evident so far that she likes her big girl seat.

Personally, I like her big saucer eyes. We thought they would be blue, but they are ending up (so far) a pretty unique gray, with hints of blue and green. Unique, just like her bro (who has olive green eyes). She just kills me she is so sweet! And I love her giggles, oh how I love her giggles!

Bubble-licious

For our family night this week, we celebrated the arrival of summer and went to the beach. We had a picnic dinner, plenty of bubbles for dessert, and LOTS of fun.

Sawyer especially loved the BUBBLES. Can you tell?

We hiked around the woodsy trails that lead down to the beach and let little sister have her first ride in the "big girl" backpack. We ended our evening playing in the sand and watching the sun sink into the Olympic Mountains. Lately we have been SO busy with various things that I find myself looking forward to our scheduled family time. I am so glad we are encouraged by our church leaders and have an excuse to drop everything for a few hours and just BE, together.

*yes, sister is wearing a winter hat even though it's summer. It was still a little breezy and chilly on the beach for a baby! I'm glad to report, however, since Monday when we went, the temperature has steadily increased and today was in the 90s. Hangin' at the beach today with friends she sported her SUN hat instead of beanie!

So, you see...our summer is off to a little bit late, but nonetheless GREAT start!

PS - Do you notice a trend in my blog posts? Our family seems to go to the beach year-round to celebrate ANY occasion! Gotta love that we live so close to awesome beaches! We're in the sand and by the water as much as we possibly can be!

Happy Star-Spangled Sabbath!

Today is Independence Day, my very favorite holiday! I was a tiny bit bummed out that we didn't get to go to Oregon to celebrate with my family, as was originally planned (but after spending 10 days there and missed work, we couldn't do another trip)...but then I decided to just enjoy it! So that's what we're doing!

I love that Sawyer got this festive lei from his nursery teachers...and that he didn't mind that Aspen and I have been taking turns wearing it since we got home.

I also love that a sister from our church asked me to translate so she could share her testimony with the women's group of our church (aka The Relief Society). She has been in this country for 8 years. We have quite a few immigrants in our congregation, many of which speak Spanish. It is a blessing to me to converse with them, even though my Spanish might be a little rusty from time to time. They truly understand and appreciate the liberties we often take for granted as citizens of this country.

I am proud of my brother-in-law, Taylor, who is serving our country at this moment. And for the patience and faith of my sister, his wife, for supporting him at a time that surely isn't easy to have to fly solo so often (they have a 2.5 year old and another baby girl due next month). South Korea will be lucky to have you...for a short time. And I promise, Kaitlin, you'll grow to love your family and your country in a way you never thought possible as you live among and learn to love a country and it's people who are foreign to you.

And here is my little firecracker...resting up for the festivities to follow this afternoon and evening. I think I may just go grab a little nap myself...and then enjoy the good friends, good food, good times, and AMAZING fireworks that follow!

Happy Independence Day!