My Sisters are a little bit like Heaven is my #11

I LOVE LOVE LOVE my sisters!!! What would I do without them??? I think that these pictures can show you how much I LOVE my sisters. They are wonderful Aunts to my Sally and Carol and Sharlene have married amazing men who fit right into our family. My sweet sister Laura has also been such a blessing in our family and I'm SO PROUD to be her sister and all the things that she accomplishes, our family wouldn't be complete without her! I can NEVER get my pictures in order so you'll just have to read the captions under them if you want to understand them :)

All 4 of the Carpenter girls 1984

All of us with our Nana 1983

My sisters tortured me :)

All of us again in 1995 (during my awkward stage)

Colter Bay, WY Summer 2001 Sharlene lived and worked with my in-laws the summer after Mr. Incredible and I got married. We saw each other every day and she went with us on family vacations. We really became close during that time.

We were also roommates for a semester down at BYU after Sharlene got home from her mission, that was TOO much fun!! Sharlene and I are 4 years apart so this was good for us so we could re-connect again. April 2001 Laura Lou was stuck with me after Carol and Sharlene went to collage :) We became close and had lots of fun together, this is us at Enchanted Forest just hangin out. Summer 2000

Sharlene with her sweet Ethan Summer 2009

Aunt Carol and Uncle Geoff spoil the kids like CRAZY but that's what Aunts and Uncles are for, right?? :) They are so good to the kids and listen and play with them. The kids always ask when we're going to go to see Carol and Geoff. Sally said to me the other day, "I don't like cats except for Carol and Geoff's cats, they are really nice." Summer 2009

Jonathan kicking water at Uncle Geoff and Aunt Carol Summer 2009

Carol and Geoff always pick out the perfect presents for Sally Dec 2008

Aunt Laura Lou and Sally with finished gingerbread houses Dec 2008

Sally and Aunt Carol playing at Jamison Square June 2008

Sharlene and Jonathan at Gardner Village October 2007

Uncle Geoff and Aunt Carol playing with Sally Summer of 2007 (I think)

Aunt Laura Lou and Silly Sally June 2006

Aunt Laura Lou and Kimmy March 2005

Laura Lou and Sharlene at Mt. Rushmore for the 4th of July 2008

Sharlene and I holding our little ones at Carol's wedding, I think Sally looks yummy to Kimmy :) April 2004

Aunt Laura Lou holding Sally at Carol's wedding, what a lifesaver April 2004

Carol with her two nieces on her wedding day, doesn't she look amazing! April 2004

Sally LOVES to read again and again is my thankful post number ten

I know when some people do their blogs they can post a few pictures and that will tell the story but not on my blog, the more the merrier right?? My thankful post #10 is that I'm so thankful that my Sally LOVES to read! She loves books and even though she doesn't really know how to read all of the stories she can look at the pictures and make up her own words. Mr. Incredible reads to her before he puts her to bed and this has been our habit since Sally was about 6 months or so. Once I got her a Fancy Nancy book to read in the car on the way back to Salt Lake from Portland, I couldn't actually read the book to her but I told her I would read it to her when we got home. She said, "oh I already know what this book is about," and then she went on to tell me pretty much what was written on each page because she had looked at the pictures so much in the car. She is a smart girl and I LOVE LOVE LOVE that she LOVES books!! So here are a few pictures of my Sally reading book in no particular order. Daddy's books can be kind of boring sometimes

Nana sent some Bob Books to help Sally read by herself and they are so helpful! Sally was so excited to get Fancy Nancy for Christmas

Kimmy and Sally love to read together

Grampy Carpy LOVES to read to Miss Sally when he is here visiting She'll read ANYWHERE (this is our bed) We go to the library all the time to get MORE books, as if we didn't have enough :)

Nana LOVES reading to her too She'd read so much she'd put herself to sleep, what an easy child

This was Sally's collection when she was young and she'd read them ALL THE TIME :) Sally ALWAYS gets books for her birthday

You have to start them out young

Sally about age 2 reading with Daddy

Lea Thompson's Sugar Cookies

I've had another request to put this recipe on my blog. When it comes to baking these cookies are pretty much the only thing I make and I LOVE making them for Jeff's co-workers (I have to make sure he is well liked at work) :) These are the BEST sugar cookies I've ever had! I LOVE the dough and I could eat these with NO frosting they are that good. So here it is...

1/2 C. Shortening 2 2/3 C. Flour

1 C. Sugar 1 tsp baking powder

1 Egg 1/2 tsp baking soda

1tsp vanilla 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 C. Sour Cream 1/4 tsp nutmeg

Cream together shortening, sugar, egg, vanilla and sour cream. Add the dry ingredients. Chill the dough (I usually chill it over night but if you made the dough in the morning by evening they should be chilled enough). Roll out dough and cut out cookies desired. Bake at 425 degrees for 4-6 minutes depending on how crispy you want them :) I usually double the recipe

Sally making sugar cookies last February

Feeling fine with thankful number 9

I know this is a day early and I should just wait and post this in the morning but I found this picture tonight and just HAD to post it (I'm really patient, can you tell??). This picture is of my AMAZING mother and me taken 13 years ago in the winter of 1996. I think that I pretty much owe everything I am to her! Some of you who read my blog have known me for a long time and know that I wasn't always the perfect angel that I am today when I was in my teen years but my mom stuck with me and never stopped loving me. She, I'm guessing, constantly put me on the temple prayer roll and showed her support for me ALWAYS and I wouldn't be where I'm at today without that. She is my best friend and I miss her all the time, I'm always calling her to say hi (thank goodness free long distance, see day 4 here), even if it's literally for 2 minutes! I'm so thankful that she was in Salt Lake for spring break when Sally decided to come 3 weeks early, thanks for that Sal (you're always thinking of your mommy), and was able to stay for a few weeks to show me how to be a mom. She puts forth all her effort to be a great Nana to my Sally and never ceases to spoil all of us, please don't stop, we're so dependent on it now (kidding)! My life would be so different if the Lord didn't entrust such a wonderful woman to be my mom. When I grow up I want to be just like my mom!!! Mom, you're the BEST example that a daughter could ask for and I LOVE YOU to the moon and back a million times!

8th Day of Thanks

I'm in charge of singing time today in Primary and I was just thinking about how thankful I am for my calling. I am the assistant to the primary chorister and I LOVE it! I was so nervous about getting up in front of ALL those kids when I got the call but after a week or 2 I know that it's all about having FUN! As long as the kids are learning songs and having fun then I'm doing my job :) I think one of my favorite parts about my calling is I get to sing with the nursery every week. At first they all had blank stares on their faces but now they're singing with me and they make me laugh the whole time I'm in there. I'm so thankful for my wonderful calling, the extraordinary women that I serve with, and Jeff A. too (the pianist we couldn't do anything without him!!!), and the joy the children brings into my life!

Dads and Donuts

Sally had Dads and Donuts with the bookfair at school this week and Mr. Incredible is such a good dad and took her to eat donuts and pick out some books. Their outfits ended up matching so I had to take a picture. What a good hubby I have and a wonderful daddy Sally has, we're so lucky and blessed!!

Thankful Post Numero 7

I LOVE the beauty that is all around us and there is so much around this wonderful world! Ok I know I put WAY too may pictures up but there was just so much to show and so much I'm thankful for. And I know that they are out of order but I just kept thinking of other pictures that I LOVE. Multnomah Falls, Oregon and the Columbia River Gorge the beauty of all of this makes the 11 hour drive to Oregon worth it (and seeing the family) :)

Lightning West Jordan, Utah

The sunset close to our house Sandy, Utah

Warwick, England

Silver Lake, Utah

Sunrise somewhere on our cruise (I don't know I was alseep)

Beautiful snowy mountains Solitude, Utah

Moab, Utah

All that BLUE water Bear Lake, Utah

Sylvan Lake, South Dakota

Last but not least one of my favorite places in the WORLD Cannon Beach, Oregon

Six

I am SO SO SO thankful of this 6th day of thanks that the mouse has been caught and is now deceased and OUT of my house!!! I couldn't be happier this fine morning that my hubby took care of the gross thing, even though he kept saying "oh but it's kinda cute, I feel bad killing it." What a sweet guy I married but nonetheless that mouse had to get out of my house!

5 DAYS OF THANKS

I am so thankful for antibiotics, neosporin, band-aids, hydrogen peroxide and anything else that keeps us healthy and clean. Last December Mr. Incredible went to Peru to do some volunteer work, when he came back he told me about a little boy who scraped his leg on some wood down there and because of infection he would probably have to get his leg amputated. How blessed our we that if we or our child falls down and skins their knee we can wash it off and the worst thing that will happen is they will have a scar. I'm so grateful for my health and the health of my family.

Day 4

I am SO SO SO thankful for cell phones, free long distance, email, Skype, digital cameras, scanners, Facebook, blogs and ANYTHING else that helps me to stay in touch with family and friends. It's hard not living close to my mom and sisters but being able to see pictures/video, updates and to be able to talk to them on the phone/Skype makes it a little bearable. Mr. Incredible says that I'm addicted to Facebook and blogs but I like to think of it as being addicted to my family and friends!

Day 3 of Thanks

I am so grateful for a living prophet on the earth today President Thomas S. Monson and for his counslors and for the Quorum of the Twelve and everyone else who serves with them. I'm grateful for their words of comfort during hard times and for their humor. I'm also grateful for Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin and for his talk in the October 2008 Gerneral Conference "Come What May and LOVE IT!" That talk has changed my life, click here to read it! He has also taught me to laugh more, and I do laugh A LOT more. I've become more happy, I don't focus on the things I can't control as much and have learned to take the challenging thing with a better attitude.

Mouse in the House

Sally saw a mouse in the house last Saturday morning while I was upstairs changing and Mr. Incredible was asleep (so obviously neither of us saw the thing) and she kept describing it to us and then said "I'll just draw you a picture." She came out with this picture and every time we talk about the mouse, that we still haven't caught yet (YUCKY), she tells us to go look at the picture so we know what it looks like for when we see/catch it. She makes us laugh on a daily basis, oh how I LOVE my SILLY SALLY!!!

30 Days of Thanks

So sometimes when Mr. Incredible is at work and Sally is in bed and I'm BORED out of my mind I blog hop. Last night I was blog hopping and I ran across my friend, who I did my CNA class with, and his wife had put on their blog '30 days of Thanks' and invited people to do it on their blogs too. I thought this was such a cute idea that I had to fall in line and copy her :) And since I didn't do it yesterday I'm going to do 2 today.


Day 1: My FUN family! Is it possible to LOVE two people as much as I LOVE LOVE LOVE Sally and Mr. Incredible!?!?! These are my favorite people EVER! I can't get enough of them and I'm so grateful that Mr. Incredible and I met and hit it off so quickly and that Sally was sent to us. I feel so complete! Cannon Beach August 2009

The Missus (me), Sally and Mr. Incredible at preschool graduation May 2009

The Missus (me), Sally, and Mr. Incredible at Disneyland March 2007

Day 2: My extended family. What would I do without my AWESOME family!?!?! Without questions or judgement they are there for us, ALWAYS! Life would be dull and un-entertaining without them around! I'm grateful that my Sally has cousins that she will be connected to for life. I'm grateful that she knows her grandparents and they put forth SO much effort to know her too and to encourage her in all she does. I'm so happy that she has Aunts and Uncles that love and support her from every angle. I'm mostly grateful that my little family is surrounded by the BEST of examples and that I have the knowledge that we're an ETERNAL FAMILY!

Carpenter Family August 2009

Poulsen Family August 2007

This is HALLOWEEN

It's our family tradition to go out to Mr. Incredible's parent's/sister's house for Halloween since they live where there is a lot of kids who trick or treat (not like around our neighborhood). We have dinner first and then head out and it's ALWAYS so much fun.

Sally and her Kindergarten class

Sally as Minnie Mouse (she already knows what she wants to be next year)

Woody and Buzz (who knew they were twins)

The popular social networking sight known as Bookface

The kids ready to go with Bampa Trick or Treating

Snow White IS a Colts fan :)

We're BIG Colts fans!! Sally and I both got FULL size candy bars for dressing up so CUTE

WAY too much time on our hands

This is how we entertain ourselves on a Sunday afternoon...well at least this is how I entertain myself I don't know if this is entertaining to Mr. Incredible :) We're NERDS I know but I LOVE him more than anything else and he continues to make me laugh on a hourly basis (when he's at home). This past year I've been really trying to remember the words of one of my favorite apostles, Elder Wirthlin, to "Come What May and LOVE It!" and his words to "Laugh" and with that in mind life has become simple and more entertaining.