Carson loves Christmas music...

This video is a couple weeks old, I'm just behind on posting! One morning we were listening to the Christmas music channel on the TV (which you can't really hear on the video), and Carson started twirling in circles while listening to it. It was pretty funny; by the time Jason got the video camera he had died down a little, but it's still cute to watch.

Around the 45 second mark, you will see what Carson does when he knows he's doing something he isn't supposed to. He's not supposed to turn off the TV, so he stands there with his finger on the button, smiles, looks at me, and shakes his head no. He's going to be a tricky little boy!

Carr Canyon Hike

During Tessa and Blake's visit, we enjoyed one afternoon hiking the Carr Peak Trail in the Huachuca Mountains just south of Sierra Vista. The weather was absolutely perfect; the higher we hiked, the cooler it got, which made it feel more like fall. It felt so wonderul to breathe the fresh mountain air.

To get to the Carr Peak Trail, we had to drive through a narrow, winding road about 5 miles up the mountain. It was a little scary because in some areas, you could look out the window and see straight down the mountain! We received a few wierd looks from passerby drivers in their jeeps and trucks, as we proceeded up the mountain in our little Saturn, but we made it! Jason and I had attempted to drive the mountain back when I was pregnant, but we only made it halfway up because I got scared all the bumps were going to put me into labor! I'm so glad we stuck it out this time because the views were breathtaking. The camera just doesn't do it justice, but we still took were snapping away.

We packed Carson into the carrier on Jason's back, found our trail, and took off. The beginning of the trail was along a rocky path with trees and bushes on both sides of you, so filed one by one down the path, thinking this was a piece of cake. Little did we know, the trail would get much harder. We passed a few people, who asked if we were going to the top. They told us it took them an hour and half to hike up the trail, and about an hour to get down. Of course, they looked like they were hiking professionals, and they didn't have a baby on their back! They also warned that it will get steep in some parts. How right this couple was! The rocky road led to a patch of tall, elegant looking trees; it was beautiful. The trail started to gradually get steeper as we ascended the mountain through the tall trees. I wish I knew what kind they were. Then we hit a spot where it got a bit tricky. Huffing and puffing and grabbing for branches, we were literally climbing the mountain at this point. We lasted about 15 more mintues and called it quits, mainly because we didn't know how much longer Carson would take.

Speaking of Carson, he loved being outdoors and kept pointing to the trees and other things that interested him. He held a pinecone the entire trip in his hand; it was really cute. Then he fell asleep on Jason's back on the way home. He's such a great kid!

Just starting out...

The Trail...

The View...

Pretty trees....

Carson with his beloved pinecone...

Tessa being Tessa! =)

The Heffels

Sisters!

More trees

Jason and Carson climbing...We were about done at this point.

Tess pausing for a picture

Me and my hubby and Carson's head

Another View...

Carson sleeping on the way back down the mountain...

Carson happy to out of the carrier!

Tess, Blake and Carson resting after the hike...

Me and the little boy

Blake, Tessa and Carson

Jason pondering the hike....=)

Thanksgiving '08

Our family has had a lot to be thankful for this year - Carson's good health, watching him learn and grow into our fun-loving little toddler, moving into our new house, Jason's great job that allows me to be at home with our little boy, our new dog, Timber, our wonderful friends and family, the list could go on and on. We were also thankful to have my sister, Tessa, and her boyfriend, Blake, in town to spend Thanksgiving with us. Jason and I decided to go all out and bought a deep-fat fryer this year to cook the turkey in. The turkey turned out great, as did the other food, and of course the company was wonderful as well.

The boys and Tess keeping an eye on the turkey. We kept the deep fat fryer on our driveway to keep Carson and Timber far, far away.

Carson and I taking a break from cooking - he was ready for a nap at that time (if you can't tell!).

The turkey cooking away.

The finished product!

Carson relaxing and waiting to eat...

Carson again...

The aftermath...

We had another guest that day - we watched a friend's dog named Chloe. Timber and Chloe quickly became good friends!

Random Carson Pictures

Just a bunch of random pictures I found of Carson. Enjoy!

In his new winter hat

Taking a break from playing

Sticking out his tongue


my little model, striking a pose....actually he was probably angry at me for taking more pictures of him


Reaching for the camera


Telling me a very interesting story =)

Carson Video

Carson actually decided to cooperate with the video camera for once (although it was short lived)! It's so amazing how in just one year, a baby can begin to understand what you are saying and can begin to communicate back with you. It's so fun to watch Carson learn new things each day.

Our little 15-month-old

Carson had his 15-month well appointment yesterday, and he is once again healthy as can be! We're so thankful to have such a healthy little boy. Carson was such a big boy this time, and walked into the office holding my hand. He even stepped on the scale by himself and stood tall and still while the nurse took his height measurement. I can't believe how big he is getting! Here are his weight and height measurements:
Weight: 24.8 pounds, which is in the 50th percentile for his age
Height: 31 inches, which is also in the 50th percentile for his age