First Loose Tooth

Carson could not wait until his first tooth came out. Everyone else was losing teeth, but him. Finally the time came for his first loose tooth. He loved it. Then, he realized it had to come out...not so fun. He was quite the scared one. It took 4 minutes of coaxing to finally get it out. This was the Sunday of the Primary Program so we were rushing around trying to get to church early. All throughout the program he kept feeling the hole where his tooth used to be. Here's the whole tooth extraction. If you decide to watch the whole thing, be sure to notice the huge proud smile at the end. I was able to capture complete joy on his face.

Bob

This is Bob. He's our elf on the shelf. This was his second year in the Gold home. Last year, he was a bit shy. This year, he was much more mischievous. For any of you that don't know about elf on the shelf, he's an elf that flies back and forth to the North Pole every night to report on how the kids are doing (naughty or nice). When the family is around, he is still like a toy. When we are sleeping, he becomes his elf-self and can sometimes get into things. If the elf is touched, his magic disappears. Carson named ours Bob (let's just say when baby #3 rolls around, he won't be helping us name it...hehe). Here are some images of Bob and his adventures.

Bob found himself a girlfriend. Don't worry, we didn't tell Mickey.

One night Bob decided it would be humorous to color the kids' noses. He chose a marker from Callie's room. He thought he was getting green, but really ended up with purple (that's why the marker lid doesn't match the noses).


At first, the kids didn't notice the marked up noses (perhaps because it was wearing off from all of their tossing and turning). They came into my room and Callie announced, "The elf took my fricking marker! That naughty elf came into my room and took my marker!" First off, I was completely appalled at the word choice and knew I needed to be a little more careful about my language. At the same time, I was overcome by laughter at her thought process. I regained my composure and asked them which one of them had marked on their noses. They both looked at me shocked and told me neither had. They ran to the bathroom to check their faces. We decided it must have been that pesky elf, Bob.


Bob became quite active the week of Christmas. He decided it would be funny to doodle on the kids' pictures. They got a good kick out of it.

One night Bob decided to go repelling with Barbie. It looks like Barbie was stuck and in need of some help. Bob was coming after her when the kids woke up and he was forced to become a toy.

Christmas Eve was Bob's last night with us. He decided to TP the Christmas tree
before he left.

He even left us a little note.
We are going to miss our little buddy Bob the elf. I'm sure he'll have lots of new adventures with us next Christmas season.

Oh, Lookie There, I've Got a Bite

One of Jordan's favorite songs is The Fishing Song by Brad Paisley (you may also know it as I'm Gonna Miss Her). For those of you unfamiliar with the awesomeness that is Brad Paisley, the song is about the love of fishing. We recently went up to Tennessee to visit family. One day while we were up there, we went fishing. The pictures we took definitely describe fishing in through the eyes of the kids.
Phase 1: The Honeymoon Period

Look at how excited everyone is to be fishing. Of course these pictures were taken two minutes after we got there.

I love that Cade is fishing like a man with that pink fishing pole.

Phase 2: Boredom

Five minutes later, this is what everyone looked like.
Phase 3: Happiness

Callie caught the first fish. That reinvigorated everyone else!

Dad was very proud!

It wasn't much longer until other fish were caught.

Everyone was happy!

Reasons We Love Florida

I'm surprised at how many people don't really like where they live. It's crazy to me because I absolutely love where we live. There are so many reasons we love Florida. Here are a few...

Sunsets at the beach.

Cars can drive on sand.

Fabulous kids to grow up with my kids.

Wonderful friends to do things with.

An endless supply of water.

It's the one place it's okay to show a little crack.

Great educational opportunities.

Grilling out requires an Aunt Jemima rag.

You never have to let the cat die.

There's no age requirement to become a hair dresser.

Hotels have special beds for kids.

Parks that bring a smile to your face no matter how hot it is outside.

Fun uncles that are willing to sweat along with you.

Redneck fireworks.

Parades that throw candy, beads, and popsicles.

Pools are everywhere.

Plants are shaped like our favorite characters.

You can nap anywhere.

Dogs are bigger than you are.

Everyone hugs everyone.

Faith

When we found out that I was pregnant with Carson, we had only been married for a few months. We were both working at the time, and I was going to school full time. We were unsure of what to do. Should I quit school and stay at home with Carson (even though my school was paid for)? Should I continue school? What about the work situation? We had a lot of questions and no answers. Everyone around us had their versions of the answers for us. We decided to turn to the Lord in prayer. We both felt that I should continue school, but one of us should always be home with the kids. That is when we came up with our plan. I would go to school and stay home with Carson while Jordan worked full time to support us. I would work a few hours when Jordan was home to help. When I graduated, I would teach to put Jordan through school and he could be home with the kids. When he finished school, he would get a job and I could return home with the kids. We prayed about our plan and again felt that this was the right path for us. Many people didn't agree with it or couldn't understand why we decided on this, but we didn't care. We knew we had prayed and received our answer.

Well fast forward almost 7 years later, Jordan is graduating May 1st. Life hasn't been as easy as we thought it would be when we decided on this plan. It feels like we are finally at the end of a long, long road. Right now we are in the process of finding Jordan a job (something much easier said than done). This job hunting is very frustrating at times. Do we move? Do we stay? Can we find a job that will allow me to stay home? Anyone who knows me knows that I have a very black and white personality. I am a planner. I like to have my ducks in a row at all times. This uncertainty of life is really testing me. I know it will work out. However, I am not a patient one. Through this I am learning patience and faith. Monday night I became frustrated with it all. I turned to my scriptures for comfort. I happened to be in Mosiah and read about Abinadi. I have read this story numerous times, but I felt differently about it on this occasion. I thought here is a man who knows that people want to capture him and he goes back in disguise anyway. Once he is back, he professes he is Abinadi and begins teaching. He knows what is going to happen to him (and it is in no way pleasant), yet he had the faith to go back. This made me think of Samuel the Lamanite as well. He was similar in how he went back to a hostile environment. These men had incredible faith. Why can't I? I am already blessed to have a job. I can work another year if I need to. We are trying to do what the Lord has asked of us. Why wouldn't he bless us with a fabulous job opportunity? There are so many examples of inspiration in the scriptures. I am so grateful for the scriptures!

Carson T

Here is my Carson T.

He is super smart.

He is a big goof ball.

He is a hugger.

He is best buds with his daddy.

He is athletic.

He is a lover of the beach.

He is a lover of animals.

He is creative.

He is a baker and a chef.

He is a grumpy bear in the morning.

He is a good friend.

He is my ray of sunshine!