A Very Merry First Christmas

(I found Charlotte like this on Christmas morning! SO CUTE!)

December 25, 2009 was the best Christmas ever! Charlotte had her first Christmas, and though she was clueless as to what was going on, it was still the best. She made out like a bandit, but of course everybody would spoil her, it's her first Christmas! She got a really fun book that she loves from Paw Paw, a teether and wrist rattles from grandma Gail, really adorable outfits from both her grandma's and I didn't make out so bad either!

(Charlotte opening her first Christmas present from Santa)

Craig and I got a video camera from Grandma Gail and that was really nice! Of course the motive for it was so she could get video of her first, and as of right now, only grandchild - but it is good to have so we can capture those precious moments.

(Shelton Family dinner on Christmas eve: Uncle Brad, Uncle Cory, Uncle Ross,
Hailey, Dad, Mom, Kayla, Grandma Debbie, Paw Paw)

We started off the evening at Grandma Debbie and Paw Paw's for a Christmas Dinner. We ate like cows because it was delicious! Grandma Debbie always feeds us good. We sang Christmas songs and then exchanged gifts. Kayla and Callie got lots of goodies and we really loved seeing everybody. On Christmas Day Charlotte's cousins and Uncle Brad and Aunt Nina headed out for Wyoming to visit Nina's side of the family. Family is definitely the reason for the season!

(Jerry got to hold Charlotte just before we opened gifts)

Afterwards, when the weather and the roads finally cleared up enough (it seemed like the covenant was broken and God was flooding the earth for a little bit) we headed out to midnight mass.

(Rachel got plenty of games from Santa. She also got a certificate to adopt a puppy!)

After mass we went out to Grandma Gail's and drank a little eggnog and visited with Aunt Michelle and Uncle Brendan for a little bit - but then it was off to bed because we didn't get back until 12:30! We didn't want Santa to skip our house!

(Aunt Cathy and Uncle John - my Godparents!)

The next morning we opened gifts and ate Christmas Quiche! YUM! I always need my mama's Christmas quiche, it's just not the same otherwise! Then we headed out to my Godmother's house in Arkadelphia.

(Aunt Michelle loved loving on her little niece!)

We had a lot of fun while we were there. We ate AGAIN and opened more gifts. I love visiting myAunt Cathy - she is so much fun and has the best taste in clothes! Overall it was the best Christmas ever!

(Grammy got Charlotte the cutest little outfit that had a little tutu built in!)

We hope everybody we didn't get to share Christmas with also had the best Christmas they could have and stayed safe and warm!

(My sweet little brother, we're really going to miss him while he's in basic gettin' fit!)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Papa Craig Provides Again

(Criag's Hogs December 17, 2009)

So Craig went hunting yesterday and got himself some hogs! He says that wild pig tastes better than farm raised pig, so I look forward to trying out some of these loins - or the rump for a roast. I really like feeding Craig's kills to the missionaries. This is because Craig mostly kills deer and I hate eating deer, and the missionaries aren't allowed to turn down food. So even if they don't like it, they'll eat it, and that way it gets eaten and I don't have to buy meat elsewhere. It's a pretty good deal. I'm really proud of my husband that he can hunt and kill for us if it's necessary. Also, I think it's a great hobby!

We're really looking forward to Christmas being right around the corner. Nothing is better than having the families all together!

Baby Got Shots!

Today Craig and I took Charlotte to the Family Medical Clinic to get her first round of baby shots. I couldn't bare to be in the room with Craig and Charlotte, but I could hear her from the waiting room. Poor baby! The shots used to be administered one at a time as five separate shots. Now, they are condensed into three separate shots - so that probably makes it a little easier on the little babies.

While we were there, they weighed little Charlotte and she is 14.1 lbs! My grandmother told me that babies double their weight in 6 months, and Charlotte has just about doubled her weight in just 3! She was a big baby to begin with and is taking after her father more and more. The nurse, while she was weighing Charlotte, commented on how much Charlotte takes after Craig - her weight is just another attribute she inherited from her father. I have to take Charlotte back in 8 weeks for another appointment.

Vacation and a Safe Return Home

Craig and I loaded up Charlotte and Shiner Sunday, November 29, 2009 for another trip to Little Rock. Craig had a business meeting for a whole week in North Carolina and then the Shelton Families went to Branson for vacation together. While we were on our way to Little Rock, Shiner jumped out of the back of the truck. We were traveling at 75 MPH and going over a bridge. Luckily, our dog survived. Because we were going over a bridge there was a chance another car could have come behind us and ran Shiner over. But he's a pretty lucky dog, though he's not a very smart dog.

While Craig was busy in North Carolina, I took advantage of spending some time with his family and with mine. Grandma Debbie and Grandpa Billy loved spending time with Charlotte. Craig says they spoil us...he might be right, but we don't mind!

I also spent some time with Grandma Gail in Bryant. We didn't get to do much together because she's VERY busy with her school. It's important to work hard in school. Due to Grandma Gail's diligence and perseverance, she is the valedictorian of her class and graduated with ALL A'S! Congratulations Grandma Gail! We can't wait for her to be done though so she can join in on some fun!









When Craig got back into town we all got ready to go to Branson. We all had quite a lot of fun while we were there. We went to the Bass Pro Shop which was a lot cooler than it sounds. It is a huge building full of pretty cool stuff. At one point they have a painted ceiling that looks like you're under water - part of it has a man sticking his hand in a 'catfish hole' to catch a catfish, they call it 'noodling'. They also had an alligator, and several fish tanks full of neat fish like gar. They also had a giant, fake bear that we all posed under and a waterfall with fake, life-sized elk. It was very cool.





We ate at several delicious restaurants. One in particular was called Lamberts. They had really good food that they took by the tables and gave you as much as you wanted. These included fried okra - which wasn't so bad for okra, and fried potatoes - which were beyond delicious, and macaroni and tomatoes, etc. They also threw the most delicious rolls at you. It was good. (www.throwedrolls.com)





We did a little shopping and stayed at the Condo a bit, too. While at the Condo, Craig did Kayla's hair in a French braid - which Grandma Debbie had to go back and fix. But it was fun for the two of them. Also the Condo had an outdoor hot tub. Yes, it was freezing cold outside, but that hot tub felt really good.



When we returned from Branson, and Little Rock, Craig and I learned there was a surprise birthday party for a friend of ours, so we had to get in on it! Tricia and KC did a great job of hosting the party and of course Cristi let me in on it. So Happy Birthday Melissa!

Happy Thanksgiving!

(Grammy Charlotte and Baby Charlotte)

Happy Thanksgiving! Craig, Charlotte and I started out our Thanksgiving day at Aunt Evelyns Thanksgiving Feast! I didn't have my camera available at this point in the day, but it was so much fun. At one point we got all the babies together, plus Kayla, Callie and Ethan. It was so cute seeing them all together! Gabriel was asleep for the photo shoot as he lay between Charlotte and Hailey who were just as patient as could be throughout the whole thing. Then we added Callie and Ethan and Kayla to the photo and they were all such great little models! Ethan has really gotten big since the last time I'd seen him and he's walking and talking just like a big boy! Callie, too, seems to keep growing every time I see her!

(Grandma Gail and Baby Charlotte at Thanksgiving)

Then we went to my mothers, Grandma Gail's, for her Thanksgiving Feast! The turkey was absolutely delicious and that's when I reacquired my camera. I snapped a picture of Grandma Gail and Charlotte, but we then had to hit the road. But it was really nice to see everybody. My Aunt Cathy and Uncle John loved seeing Charlotte and playing with her which is really nice since Aunt Cathy is my Godmother. Also, my cousin's wife Heather is looking like she's ready to pop with her second, and first boy, Ethan! So Charlotte will have two second cousins named Ethan! That'll get confusing, I'm sure, but I love the name!

(The Hunter Craig and his first kill of the season, an 8 point buck)

Also, Doctrine and Covenants 75:28 states: "And again, verily I say unto you, that every 'man who is obliged to provide for his own family, let him provide, and he shall in nowise lose his crown; and let him labor in the church." ... Well that's what my man did, he provided! Craig caught/killed his first deer of the season...ya, Nina beat him to it! Craig only recently got to start going hunting because I've quit guilting him into staying with Charlotte and me. So he got an 8 point and it's a pretty good sized deer at that. He got a good shot at it with his bow and arrow and is officially the quintessential hunter/gatherer. That makes Charlotte and I pretty lucky knowing we will never go hungry so long as Craig is with us.

(The entrance wound and kill shot of Craig's first kill of the season)

So that wraps up the Thanksgiving week. We're really looking forward to next week when Craig will be on another business trip in North Carolina, so Charlotte and I will spend time with Grandma Debbie, Aunt Nina and Charlotte's cousins as well as Leah and Gabriel and also we'll spend some time in Bryant with Grandma Gail! Also the week after that the Shelton families will vacation together in Branson, MO which is really exciting because I've never been to Branson! So Craig and I have much to be Thankful for. We can be thankful for our families who are ALWAYS here for us, and being married to our soul mates and having a beautiful baby girl who always brightens our days. We are also thankful for Craig's job which provides us with the essentials such as the means to provide a roof over our heads and food on our plates (the kind of stuff Craig can't hunt down and kill) and all of our friends. So Happy Thanksgiving!

When we were sick...

(Charlotte smiling pretty for the camera, 6 weeks)

Now that Charlotte is six weeks old, I can tell the difference between her gassy smiles and her happy smiles. It's so rewarding to see her smiling up at me because she's happy. This past week has been kind of difficult on us because little Charlotte has been sick, and so have the rest of us. It all started when Craig brought home a sinus infection. Yes, these are not contagious, you're right, but somehow Craig's sinus infection turned into congestion in Charlotte and strep throat for me. Don't ask me how, but we were all sick together like a good family!

(Craig making Charlotte smile while she lays in Grandma Debbie's baby bouncer)

It's been especially difficult for little Charlotte, though. Because babies are obligatory nose breathers, and she doesn't know how to blow her nose, she's had a hard time sleeping because she can't breathe. What we do to help her breathe is spray her nose with saline and then suck out all the boogers with a suction bulb. She hates it, and we hate seeing her struggle with it, but she does always breathe so much better after we do it. I like it when Craig does it because she always smiles at him when he does it - I guess I don't do it well enough to merit a smile.

(Laila, left, inciting Shiner, right, to run around the yard - Shiner refuses to chase and must always be chased...)

Shiner's friend Laila came over to entertain him yesterday, which was really nice of Katy to do! As everybody knows, Shiner is a spoiled boxer who demands all attention. With a new baby in the house, he's just not going to get all that attention. So, luckily, Laila came to play and she wore him out. I know he appreciated that!

What a Busy Week

(On Left: Joseph Dean, Megan Dean, KC Saylor, Tricia Saylor. On Right: Craig Shelton, Jillian Shelton, John Schank, Cristi Schank)

Saturday, October 24, 2009, The Shelton Family-B hosted a pumpkin carving party. The attendees were as follows:

Joseph and Megan Dean
John and Cristi Schank
Tricia and KC Saylor

(From Left: KC Saylor, Tricia Saylor, Craig Shelton, Cristi Schank, John Schank, Joseph Dean, Megan Dean)

We had a blast. Joseph ended up winning the most original pumpkin carving contest and won a homemade pumpkin pie. I ended up making it from a can, but it really tastes the same. John carved Charlotte's pumpkin and they all ended up looking great. It was really a lot of fun. Especially when Cristi and Tricia decided to paint faces with pumpkin guts - thanks guys, that was gross! We had mulled cider, special cheese dip (recipe courtesy of Mrs. Bennet) and sugar cookies to decorate.

(On Left: Cristi Schank and her witch cookie; On Right: Craig Shelton's Frankenstein's Monster)

After the pumpkin carving party, Craig, Charlotte and I loaded up the Camry and even brought Shiner back to Lonoke. Craig had a business ordeal in North Carolina and I had a funeral to attend in Little Rock. So, upon taking Craig to the airport on Sunday night, I prepared myself for a few days of sadness.

(Charlotte Morris holding Charlotte Shelton)

It was especially nice for Charlotte to meet her great grandmother, Charlotte - the wonderful, strong woman Charlotte was named after. Her husband, Walter Morris, was the gentleman we will all miss and forever remember.

(Five-week-old Charlotte is getting better at lifting her head.)

We stayed in Little Rock to visit with everybody through the week and the weekend. That was really nice, we don't get to spend enough time with our families being so far away.

(Charlotte has started to really fill her diapers and they've started to overflow a little bit.)

(On Left: Daddy and his kitty; On Right: mommy and her kitty)

The most fun was Halloween. Charlotte was a kitty cat! She was going to be a pumpkin, but the pumpkin outfit I had for her was just too little. But she was really cute in it.

(Rachel Grantham, 7, the Rock Star)

We started off the night by going to Bryant to see Rachel. She was a Rock Star and she rocked the night. I'm sure she made a steal on some candy.

(On Left, Charlotte Shelton, 5 weeks; On Right: Hailey Shelton, 12 weeks)

Then we traveled to Lonoke to visit with Uncle Brad, Aunt Nina and Charlotte's cousins: Kayla - the vampire, Callie - the Princess, and Hailey - Winnie the Pooh. We got Charlotte and Hailey together to see if we could get them to smile at the same time. No such luck.

(Daddy and his baby girl)

It was really great to have been able to spend so much time with everybody. But Craig and I are really happy to be back home to find some kind of a routine. But we'll be back soon, we can't stay away from family for too long!

(From Left: Tricia Saylor, 26 - holding Charlotte, 4 weeks; KC Saylor, 17; Cristi Schank, 24; Megan Dean, 28)

One Exciting Weekend

The weekend began unlike any other. Craig took the boys from the Boy Scout Troop on a camping trip Friday night. They had such a great time going on a hike, cooking breakfast and enjoying the view while bonding such as men do. He finally returned Saturday evening to a family who missed him very very much.

While he was gone, I had a friend, Cristi, spend the night with me because I hadn't had to spend a night with Charlotte alone yet. I hopefully won't have to for quite some time. Luckily enough I had a companion - after having fed Charlotte, I was walking around with her to get her to burp and she ended up vomiting all over me. She was covered and I was covered and had it not been for an extra set of hands, I don't know how I would have gotten it all cleaned up and gotten Charlotte re-fed. Thank you, Cristi! We'll have to have another movie marathon soon!

Craig and I both enjoyed our Friday night - Craig loves to camp and says that he couldn't stop thinking about having Charlotte and I with him the next time he goes. We're both really looking forward to it - camping is so much fun! But the fun and excitement was short lived. Saturday night with Charlotte was a repeat of the night before and we both got little to no sleep at all. We did give her the first bath she's ever had, though. She didn't like it as much as we'd hoped she would and so it didn't last very long - but every bath we've given her since has been such a joy for her and us. She makes the best happy faces - she's such a cutie! Luckily; however, we felt rested enough to travel to Little Rock to surprise the family. And it was a surprise indeed.

It was so much fun getting to see everybody. Charlotte's Uncle Ross had recently had an operation on his wisdom teeth but was luckily feeling well enough to play with Charlotte a little bit.

We invited my mom over to Craig's parents house and we all enjoyed some dinner that Grandma Debbie prepared for everybody and it was delicious! We got to see Nina and Kayla and Hailey - but unfortunately, sweet Callie had an ear ache and stayed home. Getting Charlotte and Hailey together was so much fun! Hailey has certainly gotten bigger since we last saw her and she is just beautiful!

My mom got to spend a little bit of time with Charlotte, too. And so did Charlotte's Aunt Rachel. It was really fun to see them again - I know Rachel really enjoyed seeing Kayla and also playing with her little niece.

Also - Grandma and Grandpa Shelton got to play with Charlotte. It was really fortunate for Grandpa Shelton because he hadn't got to spend any time with her like Grandma Debbie and Grandma Gail had. We ended up spending the night with Grandma and Grandpa Shelton and luckily so! We got our first full night of sleep thanks to Grandma Debbie who got up with Charlotte while Craig and I slept and fed Charlotte and put her back to sleep. I hadn't ever felt so good when we woke up Monday morning and it is all because Grandma Debbie is amazing! Thank you so much Debbie! You're the absolute best!

We're really looking forward to Thanksgiving so Charlotte can spend some time with family members she hasn't even met yet (Uncle Ryan, Uncle Brendan and Aunt Michelle! - We miss you!!!).

Also, Charlotte had her first Dr. appointment this morning. Get ready for it - Charlotte has gained another pound! She is now 10 lbs. and 4 oz. So within three weeks my sweet little baby has gained 2 lbs and never lost an ounce! She has also gained another inch! She started off at 20 inches long and is now 22 inches long! She is sure growing - I don't notice it on a daily basis, but she has gotten somewhat heavier!

So we had a very busy weekend - which is always nice! We're really looking forward to the up and coming weekend when we'll be hosting a pumpkin carving party and heading back to Little Rock to visit the family for another weekend!