Carlson Crew

Latin dance, karate and gymnastics class

2011-06-18T12:34:00.000-07:00

Hey Family and Friends!!
We are back home in Zapopan and excited for this next semester! I am so happy to be home with my sweet, handsome husband!! I feel so blessed to have him in my life and to have our three cute kids! I can't even tell you how much joy they all bring me! We signed up for some classes and they started this week. Adam and I are taking latin dance from our Bishop. He is awesome, he won lots of dance competitions. We just love his family and his wife is so sweet and patient with my spanish!
Then Taylor is taking karate. Her second class she was sparring with this girl and kicked her off the mat twice. I was trying not to laugh because I have never seen that side of her, but I love it because she is so in love with every boy here and they love her golden hair and fair skin, so I want her to be able to kick some butt! Then Payton started gymnastics and five adorable girls just followed her everywhere and showed her how to do everything. They let her cut up to the front of the line every time and she just did that shy little Payton smile and they all started laughing and hugging her! I was worried because she doesn't know as much spanish as Taylor but she is this little celebrity there. Its so stinkin cute!:)
I'll try and post some pics as soon as my computer starts working.
Hope everyone is doing great!:)
Love, Kaci

2011-03-22T12:02:00.000-07:00

My computer won't let me download pictures so I'll just give a quick update. Adam is doing good and is just as hot as ever!! I love that man, he is so dang patient with me and my craziness! I'm so blessed to be married to such an amazing person!:) He is doing great in school and so is Taylor. I put her in the school here and she loves it! Her spanish is getting so good. Her teacher is not very nice and I don't think she likes me. haha She lectured me (in spanish) in front of all the parents. It was pretty funny! She doesn't speak a word of english, but that doesn't stop Taylor from trying to talk to her:)
Payton and Brian have become such good buddies and they get into so much trouble together! Payton always blames the messes they make on Brian! haha Yesterday she said, "Mom I'm going to take out all the toys" I said, "If you do that you will sit in the time out chair." Payton said, "Okay, if I sit in the chair then can I take out all the toys?" I don't know what to do with her sometimes! I just have to laugh at her naughtiness!
I am the primary pianist and I play this little keyboard, I love it! We have no idea how spoiled we are in the States! I also started taking this zumba class and it is the funnest class! These women who are older and a little bit bigger than me can dance the day away! I'm telling you, I can't keep up! They are so cute and fun!!
Oh, and we are going to AZ the third week in April and the kids and I will stay until the first week in June! So excited to see everybody!! Love you all, hope everyone is happy and healthy!:)
Love, Kaci

The Hermit

2011-01-28T15:50:00.000-08:00

I feel like a stranger in my own body! It is so weird, and I know it sounds strange but it is what it is. I don't feel like socializing with anyone and I feel so insecure lately! I can't stand it! Have you ladies ever felt like that? My poor husband is going crazy, I know. He said, "Who are you? You were the most outgoing person when I met you! You always wanted to be around people!" I hope this changes soon because my girls are little social butterflies and they're stuck home with me, the "hermit"haha I'm sure I need to just change up my schedule and actually get ready before noon, then I won't scare people away with my crazy hair and no make up!hehe Well, I'm going to try! Tomorrow's a new day and the sun will come out!:) I hope it shines bright tomorrow because I do love the sun! It's laying out time!!

Guadalajara Zoo

2010-11-09T09:44:00.001-08:00

This zoo is amazing! For $7.00 you can get into the zoo and go on the safari ride. The safari drives you into the cage of the giraffs, zebras and ostrichs!

This pictures for you Dad! Scouts honor with the buffalo's. Doesn't get any better than that right?!

We were standing by this bush talking and I looked over and this is what I saw! I screamed, as you can imagine! In the States you can't get this close to the animals. It was crazy!

Here's the Safari truck and the giraff's. Look at that beautiful tongue!:) Brian fed them and they were so gentle.

This is the view in the food court.
Taylor and Payton jamin out on the African drums!

This polar bear was so cute! He copied everything we did!

Mess maker!!

2010-11-04T11:59:00.000-07:00

Brian goes from mess, to mess with those big innocent eyes and cheesy grin! Oh, I love this boy!!!
Yummm.. "Women's World."

Paper in the mouth and I still can't resist that face!

Party time... a glue stick and crepe paper.

He pulled the pizza box off the table and helped himself!

There he goes, fleeing the scene!

The 24th Celebrations

2010-08-23T13:08:00.000-07:00

We went with my sister to Cedar City for the 24th celebrations (Pioneer Day) It was so much fun, the kids were in the parade and loved soaking everyone with squirt guns and then they had a carnival.
Brian and I waiting for the parade.

Payton petting every dog there at the parade!
Liza and Brian (the cutest babies!)

Taylor was so wet and cold, she was not happy.

My girls with their sparklers and of course Payton is posing!

Fireworks in the street. I love Utah!

Sweet Sleepers

2010-08-07T22:49:00.000-07:00

My kids are such cuddlers! Especially at bed time. We read some books before bed and they all want to be on my lap. I love it!:)

We found them like this asleep. So sweet!

Cousins, Brian and Liza 7 weeks apart

They were all asleep like this until Brian heard me giggling about how cute they were!haha Before I woke him he had both arms around Taylor's! Precious:)

Look at his "morning" eyes. He wanted to go back to sleep.

Cousins

2010-07-29T18:59:00.000-07:00

We are having so much fun staying at my sisters and hanging with the fam. We went today and had some cute pictures of the kids taken. Here's some of my fav.

Our new house

2010-06-23T18:43:00.000-07:00

Yeah we moved again! Three moves in one year, crazy! I don't recomend it. We love our new place though. It is a lot bigger than the last and we have a yard, yay!! Our neighbors don't like us, they put finish nails in our tires with a nail gun, stole our cement blocks for parking and turned off our water heater! So, I'm going to make them cookies and take them over, ya know the good 'ol rule...kill them with kindness:) I will make them like Americans! Here's some pics of the new place and the neighborhood

My sweet neighbors

The local grocery store and my favorite pasteleria. Delicious!!

VIP Movies!!

2010-06-05T07:31:00.001-07:00

This is how we do it in Mexico!! This theater is amazing! Its called VIP Andaras. Check out the loby behind us, it is so pretty, (the picture doesn't show everything.) Okay, you get to pick which seat you want, and when I say seat I mean full on leather reclining seat! And you have your own waiter with this amazing menu to choose from! Adam and I got a gourmet 4 cheese pizza, turkey and cheese croissant and double chocolate cake from this amazing pasteleria! I have never had a chocolate cake like this one. It looked like those one's off of "Pollyanna" when she's at that carnival and the cakes are like 5 layers! (Love that movie:) We went with our good friends the Burk's and saw Robin Hood. It was so much fun and it only cost $7.oo to get in!! We need these in the States!

Happy Birthday Tot!!

2010-05-21T08:46:00.001-07:00

My little Taylor Tot is 5!!! She's five but she acts like she's 13!! Yesterday, Adam told her she was an angel and she said, "No Dad, I'm a diva!!" She says, "Hola!" to everyone, when we're driving in the car, walking down the street and everyone in the halls at church. The whole language barrier is not a problem for her! She makes me laugh everyday! She always asks me if the boys will think she looks cute in her outfit, or if a certain boy will like her hairstyle. We are in trouble with her as a teenager:) Payton was dancing and Taylor siad,"Yeah Girl, shake it!" Taylor has always had so much enthusiasm and love for everyone! I love this girl!!

My atempt at a Barbie cake.lol

Cinderella is about to loose her legs! lol

She has been wanting this umbrella so she can fly like Mary Poppins. haha

Love this boy!!

2010-05-09T20:44:00.000-07:00

My baby boy is getting so big! Brian is already 6months old but everyone thinks he's 11-12 months! He is such a happy boy, always laughing and smiling at anyone and anything!:) He loves spanish and spanish women! I'm not even kidding, he lights up when women start talking to him in spanish. It is so dang cute! They love him and he knows it.:)

Chapala water park

2010-05-07T06:31:00.000-07:00

We went to Chapala where the city is souronded by this big beautiful lake. It looks more like the ocean! We went with our close friends the Burk's and we had so much fun!! Adam and I went on one of the big slides with a double tube and it felt like we were dating gain back at good 'ol Sunsplash:)haha Until Adam thought it would be funny to lift up and shift his weight to make the tube go screaming down right on a corner and I about flipped out of it! Thanks Hunny:)
He gets away with it 'cause he's so dang cute! Mr. tough guy!

We look a little rough! It was a long day!

Momasita visit and our new puppy!

2010-04-05T11:50:00.000-07:00

My Mom came for a visit 2 weeks ago and we partied it up! Showed her all the fun places to eat and see! It was fun seeing Momasita for a week:)

Our new puppy, Austen! My girls just adore him!:) Of course they had to pose!haha

The Fish Market

2010-03-23T16:33:00.000-07:00

There's a fish market pretty close to our house and it's so fun to go early in the morning, pick out some fresh sea food and go home and grill it! We took Brian for his first time:) Nothing better than that "fishy" smell in the morning to wake you up!!

No rest for the weary!

2010-03-04T07:40:00.000-08:00

Do you ever just want to take a nap by yourself? Or go to sleep in your own bed without children? I do, and then I look at how cute and quiet they are sleeping, so I give in and just cuddle up! (Plus, I know it will never happen around here!)haha

Look at his long lashes and big lips! I'm jeleous!

My baby girl is 3!!

2010-02-16T15:57:00.000-08:00

My Payton Lillyturned 3! Payton is our spicey little thing! She just came with some spunk! She was my longest labor, 22hrs. and the had the worst cholich! She screamed the first 5 months of her life. But she is also the most tender hearted! We love her little voice, big blue eyes, and tight hugs! For Payton's Birthday we took the kids and their friends Paisley and Maddy to the fair next to our house. I was a little scared because none of the rides had safety belts. They're not worried about being sued here!haha My sis. in law Ari is living with us and she and Maddy convinced me to go on this ride. One of the big metal parts to it was laying on the ground and it made some interesting sounds so I thought we were going to die!haha I was holding on for dear life and praying while Adam was laughing and taking pictures! It was really fun though! And the girls loved it!

Payton and Manuel tearin up the pinata:)

Our home in Guadalajara, Mexico

2010-01-25T15:23:00.000-08:00

We moved to Jalisco, Mexico. Its about 10 min. from Guadalajara. And 21hrs. from Mesa AZ!Adam is going to medical school at UAG and just started doing his PMC (patient medical care) at the hospital a week ago!

We love it here! The people are so beautiful inside and out! Our ward is so friendly and patient with our slow spanish:) They just called me into the primary presidency. I am so excited! I don't mind if the kids laugh at my spanish. Thank goodness its not R.S.:)

Everything is so different here. The driving is like being in Manhatten, NY. You just honk and go! I say a prayer and get my hand on the horn!lol I've never seen so many nice cars. Our 2006 Toyota is the ghetto car in our neighborhood. Our neighbors drive BMW, Mercedes, Lexus and a Jaguar. And the women here are so beautiful! Some are tall with long thick hair and beautiful skin! They get so dressed up just to go to the store. I mean they are all decked out in their skinny jeans and stelleto heals. Apparently I have to step it up a notch:)

We love our neighborhood! And when the trash guys come they ring this cow bell and load it by hand. I think the bell is so cute! We usually leave them some pesos or they "forget" to take it the next time!lol We live near a church and on Sundays you can hear the big bells. So pretty! Our neighborhood is gated with a 24hr. security guard and the guards are so sweet. They always try to talk to us so we just say gracias and smile:) We bring them pastries and tacos so now we're their mejores amigos:) Here's some pics of our house and the Zapopan cathedral. Its only about 7 min. from our house!

This was the night we got here in the rain and so we look a little scary after being in the car for 4 days!

Family Pictures

2009-12-18T19:46:00.000-08:00

I love how these pictures turned out! Jessica Drew did an amazing job! And of course my girls had to strike a pose in every one:) They are so cute!

Five weeks

2009-12-10T14:05:00.000-08:00

Brian is doing so good. He started holding his head up when he was a couple days old and now he'll pull his whole upper body off my shoulder when I'm holding him. He is so strong! He has to be to deal with Payton's constant harassing!:) He went to the Dr. for his 1 month check up and he weighs 11.6 pounds and is 24 1/2 in. long. He is one big 5 week old for sure!:) We just adore him, he's so sweet and patient with all the hugs and kisses he gets!

Brian Hunter has arrived!

2009-11-10T10:46:00.000-08:00

I'm back with a new blog address. I still can't believe I accidentally deleted my blog!
Well, we have a new addition to our family......Brian Hunter was born Nov.1 He weighed 9.2 and was 22in. long (no wonder my appendix and every other organ hurt everyday!!) He gave a good scare when he was born because the cord was wrapped around his neck and he was completely purple! I have never seen that before. He wasn't crying or anything, so they gave him some oxygen and he started "pinking" up. We feel so blessed everything turned out ok! He is the sweetest little guy! We just can't hug and kiss him enough:) Especially his sisters. Taylor and Payton think they're his "Mom." I am so happy to finally have my boy and could name him after my little brother B.J. (Brian James)
Brian could not stop looking at his Dad, it was so cute!

Holding their brother for the first time:)
Here's the blog of some professional pictures Jessica Drew took of Brian. They are precious, she did such a great job! jessicadrewphotography.blogspot.com