Conquering fear at the park

We went to the park today where Carter was excited for -- but then got terrified on -- the ferris wheel. He made the operator stop the ride so he could get off. It was too high, he said!

Later, Carter decided to give it another try -- this time on his own.

You could see the expression change on his face from fear to unease to, hey, this isn't so bad.

All done....

Then he wanted to ride again and again. Good job facing your inner demons, Carter!

Merry Christmas!

Carter woke up at 7 a.m. and was thrilled to see that the cookies were eaten (with a thank-you note in their place) and there were presents under the tree.

Carter bought Dad a new coffee mug to replace the one he broke a few weeks ago.

Opening his requested gift from Santa: a shield!

Thanks, Santa!

From Mom and Dad: Lego Star Wars Brickmaster!

Mom got a DIY beer kit. Oh yeah, baby!

Carter said his favorite present was the Lego Batman set from Dad.

Mom also got Skyrim for the Xbox. Double yeah!!

Building the Batman set.

Rolling around in the wrapping paper.

Playing his new PetPals 2 game for the Leapster Explorer.

Merry Christmas, everybody!

Christmas lights

We rode a double-decker bus to check out some Christmas lights! It was super fun.

Angry Birds cookies for everyone....

Happy birthday Carter!!

Carter turned 5 on Tuesday. We celebrated at school with a giant cookie, since he doesn't like cake.

5th birthday party

Carter had his birthday party at Makutu's Island, a giant indoor playground in Chandler. He had a science themed party. I love the invitation I ordered on Etsy:

Here are some pics:

Santa 2011

We took the Polar Express train last weekend to see the REAL Santa. Those guys at the mall are just impostors. Here are Carter and Grant with Santa:

And just to review:

Christmas 2010:

Christmas 2009:

Christmas 2007 (left) and 2008:

Kid cooking class

They made muffins and something else, I can't remember. They ate them in the car on the way home.

Wedding day

Carter was a ringbearer and wagon puller at his Aunt Tammy's wedding last month.

He and his cousin Grant were tasked with pulling a baby-filled wagon down the aisle. The babies were holding the ring pillows. They did a fantastic job.

And they were proud of themselves!

One more school pic

He's growing up too fast. Someone hit the brakes!

School pictures

Disneyland 2011

We went to Disneyland to check out the Halloween event. It was super fun. We stayed late, got lots of candy and got on a bunch of rides. Thanks to Aria and her parents for meeting us!

One more pic from the family photo shoot:

Portrait

We had family portraits taken last month. Here's one I liked:

Wedding planning

We've got a big wedding coming up, and Carter's in it! He's going to be walking down the aisle ahead of his Auntie Tammy. Here he is trying on his tuxedo, and adding a little flair.