Thanksgiving-birthday-athon

Wow this last week was INTENSE!! Saturday we went to Salt Lake, sunday eric was sick, monday was Carter's birthday,Tuesday my girlfriends and i went out to celebrate Sarah Jane's birthday, wednesday was my birthday, thursday was Thanksgiving at my sister-in-law's, friday I participated in my first frantic and disturbingly early black friday and today was one of my closest friend's (Hayley) baby shower! Just amazing! On top of that, my dad booked my flight to go out to see him - a 22 hour trip with three connections each way - I am very excited!!

Carter's birthday turned into an impromtu party - at the last minute, literally, we invited some of our closest friends over with their families to have cake and icecream, and it was quite the celebration! I unfortunately did not get any pictures on my camera but Eric's dad did. Afterward, we played volleyball late into the evening, men against women and it was such a blast! Carter really enjoyed his cake but I think that the cookie crumbles might have been a little bit of a texture issue for him. he and I also received some birthday cards and gifts and I would like to thank Grandma and Grandpa Kennedy for the birthday money, aunt susan for the card, and Grandma and Grandpa Avery for the package of birthday gifts for Carter - the clothes are a perfect fit and he loves the toys! It is so touching that the people that I love the most were thinking of Carter and I this week for our birthdays!! I would like to finish this post by sharing some pictures of our family.

You know you're getting old when...

Your mom calls you 4 days before your birthday to wish you a happy birthday and honestly believes she is right! I have had some quirky birthday karma these last couple of years, not last year but the two years before that, my father also forgot to call me on my birthday - his typical and anticipated routine - so last year I made sure to remind him what day it was and he fixed it. Now in his defense he does live very far a way and its at times a different day there so that is going in his favor but for my mom, well that was just funny... at least it wasn't 4 days late! Today Eric took me to see the Body Worlds exhibit in Salt Lake City - it was amazing! They use this method of preservation called "plastination" on donated bodies and then they are able to display them and pose them and fillet them, all very interesting! They have a display showing fetal growth from a zygot to a fully developed baby (all dead from natural causes) and it was amazing! seeing that, I wonder how the heck I was showing at 9 weeks with Carter?? Afterward we went to eat at the Red Iguana - way good! Speaking of Carter, Monday is his first birthday! Wow! My baby is growing up! He walks everywhere and is getting pretty fast these days and he says "dada" "mama" "hi" and "up". He is so expressive too, he has started making this face when he is upset and wants me to react, it looks like he is going to cry and he just holds it there - with out sound or at least crying until I react. Its really funny. Taylor spent the night over at Eric's parent's house with Cam's boys - she loves her cousins so much! She is such a socialite too. Anyway the count down is on to thanksgiving and I have much to do to prepare, I am very excited also to make the cake for Carter's birthday - a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, crumbled up oreos and gummy worms to look like worms in dirt - perfect for a little boy! Wish me luck!