sometimes the cuteness is more than i can stand!!!!!

WANTED

ok, so as previously mentioned, we went to pima for part of our spring break. and it was there, in pima, that carter had his first run-in with the law (probably just like his daddy).

at gma and gpa smith's the kids typically play in the front yard. this particular sunday morning was no different, the kids were playing outside as usual, with all the fun ride-able toys (carter's favorite). he was riding around on the big wheel and i was checking on him from time to time.

i checked on him and then proceeded to change max, get ready for church etc. after a while i went outside to check on him again, but he wasn't in the front yard. so i searched in the house, in the back yard and still no carter. i told tyrell that he was missing and we all started to look.

i couldn't see him up or down the street, i headed over to the church and looked around the lawn and around the back... but still no carter. i started heading toward the highway when some church goers, who saw that i was in search of something, asked me if i was looking for a little boy. i told them that i was, and they informed me that " the cops got him". he said it so casually i thought he was joking. so i quickly replied "it's about time they caught him. he causes a lot of trouble." i smiled, and he told me they took him up toward the tasty freeze. so all of a sudden i realize "oh, you're not joking." he reassured me that he wasn't and i started running that direction.

at this point i wasn't thinking clearly i guess i thought the police would be AT the tasty freeze, but it was sunday and i could see they were closed up ahead, and i started to wonder if i was going to have to go to the police station to pick him up. but then i spotted a cop car pull out from a side street and head down the highway. i tried to get their attention by waving my arms and yelling while i was running, but they did not see my charade. luckily they didn't go far. they stopped at a house just a little ways up (to see if the boy belonged to them) so i ran down and across the highway to let them know that HE'S MINE!

about the time i was in the middle of the highway, i saw tyrell round the corner in the 15 passenger van. he saw where i was going and we all met up with the police about the same time. the police man had a woman with him and carter was on her lap smiling at me from the window.

the cop said they saw him on the side of the highway on his big wheel (gma and gpa smith's house is only 100 yards or so from the highway). they were afraid he was going to get hit so they stopped and picked him up. he went willingly and they threw the big wheel in the back. the lady said she enjoyed holding him because he smelled so good. she told because he looked nice and clean she wasn't too worried about him (thank heaven he had had a bath that day :) they had been driving around the block to see if they could find who he belonged to. and even while she was expalining all of this to me, carter was back on the big wheel heading toward to street!

we reprimanded him, but i don't think he knew what was going on. we went back over the 'no, no' and 'yes,yes' areas of grandma's yard, but we sure kept a much closer eye on him the rest of the time.

this whole ordeal probably took place in minutes, but it was a little scary. thank heaven we were in a small town, he didn't get out onto the highway, and it was the police who picked him up and not some crazy! i am pretty sure he would have gotten in the car with anyone, and he wanders all the time.

so for the upcoming months.... we will be working on stranger danger and road safety!

hopefully this will be the only time i have to retrieve my son from the police :)

march

in march we went home to AZ. we had a crazy trip which consisted of going to SJ, show low, mesa and pima. its was tyrells spring break and my good friend chuck was getting married so we headed home. we got to sj, i went with my mom and max to mesa for the wedding (which was great i have never seen a live sealing with children involved, it was touching), ty kept carter and helped his brother with their new house in showlow, then we met in globe and both went to pima ( which was the only time i took pictures). we had a fun time, riding tractor (carter didn't ride in the bucket he was more interested in sitting on grandpas lap and watching how to make the tractor work), four wheelers (we went out to red knolls and braved the wind), watching uncle flynts airplanes, crawdad fishing, and visiting with lots of friends and family. then we went back to sj for a few days. it was great to see everyone but these trips take it out of us!

in this picture i imagine they are using the buddy system to make sure it's safe to cross the street.

february

so i am a few months behind so brief updates. February brought us a few snow storms, so ty had a great opportunity to shovel snow (a task he claims he really likes) and we got to take a trip to the mountains and use the chains. we made and decorated cookies for valentines day and carter is my best helper when i bake. he loves to put the ingredients in, and turn on the mixer, but most of all he likes cookie dough! and of course, our kids are adorable and we love their sweet little faces!