Wow Where Has the Time Gone!!!

Ok, so I didn't realize it had been almost a year since I had posted! I guess the only advantage is that I don't have to change my background now! LOL! So where do I start....wow! I guess I'll start with family changes!

We moved from our house in Temple that we were renting in with my 93 year old grandma's 60 year old farm house. Talk about transition! But even though its a little less convenient then what we are used to, and takes longer to get anywhere, and is HOT (no central heat and air), seeing the boys with Memo is absolutely priceless! I think having us here is what is keeping her going....and its the least I could do for everything she has always done for everyone else! Besides, we are also saving lots of money, so it works out good for everyone!



Scott: The Trojans finished off their year strong, 7-5, going two rounds deep! It was a great start for Scott's varsity career, and he LOVES where he is at and the guys he works with. The Trojans did have a tough run during track season this year, but hopefully this year will be MUCH better! For the coach's sake I hope so! Scott got promoted to Head Track, which was a career goal for him! So wish him luck this season! And the Trojan football team is having a harder time so far this year, but we are VERY young...lots of sophomores! We are currently 2-3 going into district play, with a pretty TOUGH district! So say a little prayer for us!




Deanna: So much has happened to me in the last year I don't even know where to begin! I guess I will start with my training. In the past year, not only did I complete a half marathon, but a couple of fulls....totally surpassing my expectations of myself! I ran in the San Antonio Rock And Roll half last November, the Miracle Match marathon relay in Waco in January in the snow, the 26.2 with Donna full marathon in Jacksonville Fl in February, the Dallas Rock and Roll half in March, the Beach to Bay relay marathon in Corpus Christi in May, the Scott and White half in Temple in June, the Seattle Rock and Roll full in June, the Eugene (Oregon) women's inaugural half in September (where I got to meet Tony Dungy which was awesome! He is such an inspirational man!), and I'm getting ready to run in the Marine Corps Marathon in DC in October, the San Antonio Rock and Roll full in November, the Las Vegas Rock and Roll half in December, the Miracle Match relay marathon again, and the Austin full in February! Whew....that makes me tired just typing it all! So not only have I become quite the marathon runner, but the world traveler as well! It has been something I NEVER thought I could do, so the challenge got me started, and now I'm just TOO stubborn to quit! LOL! Actually I am really enjoying myself and have made some pretty amazing friendships!









As much as I enjoyed my time at Temple High School, I decided after both Morgan and Lache left that there just wasn't that much left there for me. I had done LOTS of good things for kids in the two years that I was there, and have several kids in college now that wouldn't be there now had I not believed in them and kept them in school. Last year alone I got 18 of my kids into our alternative HS, 14 of them graduated, of which 9 of those ended up being early grads! Anyay, it was definitely time for a change for the better, and I had basically "outgrown" that job....so now I am the Special Education Coordinator for Lorena ISD! I LOVE my new job....feel like it is a PERFECT fit for me. Definitely keeps me on my toes, and I really miss my kids in Temple, but feel super blessed to have been given such an amazing opportunity in such a good district. The people I work with are awesome, and I couldn't ask for a better place to begin my adminstrative career.

Jaysen: He is no longer our little boy anymore! He is SO grown up, and I don't think there is anything at all that he doesn't know! Its amazing what can go into such a little mind. I don't know what we are going to do with him! He is definitely momma's little helper! He is in Pre-K with me in Lorena, and absolutely loves it! He LOVES his teacher, Mrs. Colyer, and loves riding the bus to me at the middle school every day. He started tee ball this past spring, and wasn't really too into it, but we made him stick it out. He had more fun making dirt angels in the infield! His brother, on the other hand, would have LOVED to play....unfortunately he wasn't old enough! He also took swimming lessons this summer, and is absolutely not afraid of the water...he is a little water bug! I think if we had a pool he would be swimming every day! We are starting to have trouble with his ears again though, and are set to get back in to see the audiologist and ENT on October 28th. His pediatrician thinks he may have some scar tissue built up around his tube which is causing a partial hearing loss in his left ear. We are hopeful that the ENT can give us some promising news. It doesn't really seem to slow Jaysen down though! He is definitely a delight....no matter how busy he keeps us!






Dawsen: He has become such a little boy these days. I just don't know where my little baby disappeared to!! He wants to do everything his brother does, which is usually ok because they make pretty good playmates! But they do get in pretty good fights occasionally, and we have gotten to where we just sit back and watch! It won't be long before Dawsen wins every time! LOL!! Dawsen is so different than Jaysen was, so I have to remind myself that they are two totally different personalities. He LOVES anything sports related, and wants to "go to the doctor to get taller" so that he can play football! Too precious! He is in a day care in Rogers, and is learning all sorts of things! And have I mentioned that he is absolutely precious! I know I shouldn't say that about a boy, but it's true! See for yourself!







Lache: It definitely wouldn't be a family update if I didn't include what's been going on with Lache. There is ALOT to talk about, so I'm gonna try to make it brief. He didn't have a great senior season, however, that didn't stop his success on the field. He had an opportunity to play in the Hawaii Polynesian Bowl, as well as the US Army All American Bowl game....and we were able to get seats for this game on the first row, 50 yard line.......AMAZING experience! Recruiting hit him HARD during his senior year, but after much deliberation, he finally made his decision in January, on Jaysen's birthday! He decided to be an Oregon Duck!! I was VERY pleased with that decision, as I felt that the Ducks had the most to offer him and it was a complete package! He finished up his senior year with all As and Bs, qualified for school, and was ready to go to Eugene in June after graduation! We decided to take a family vacation / road trip so that we could take him to Oregon and get him settled in. He worked hard all summer, but with the depth they have at running back, it was decided that it would be in his best interest to redshirt this year. He was quite disappointed, but I think in the end he will realize how much he will grow during this year. The fall semester has just started, so hopefully he can focus on school and get stronger and ready for next year.









Ok, I PROMISE to update more often so I don't have such a long novel! I am going to do another post highlighting our trip this summer in a little while. Hope you enjoyed a year in the life of the Carters! Until next time...

Family Pics 2009

We took some family pics and Dawsen's 18 month pics in early September. It's amazing how fast the boys are growing....I don't know where time goes....makes me a little sad! :( Hope all is well with everyone....enjoy!

Fall 2009

Wow I just can't believe how quickly the time passes! It has been a crazy start to school, and with football season well under way, our family is ALWAYS running in 50 different directions! Here is a little update on what has been going on in our world:

Scott: Football season as a University Trojan has definitely been exciting! We are currently 4-3 (2-2 in district)....we need to win 2 of our next 3 games in order to make it to the playoffs, which should be very doable. We should actually be able to win out....Midlothian, Cleburne, and Ennis. The most exciting part of the whole thing is that we beat Waco High this year for the first time in school history!! It was AWESOME!! Go Trojans!



Deanna: I FINALLY received my superintendent certificate in the mail, so I guess I am now official!! I suppose I better start thinking about what I am going to do with it so it doesn't continue to be a very expensive wall decoration....lol!!

My training is going better than expected too....and I really feel prepared for the San Antonio Rock and Roll Marathon happening in a few weeks. This Saturday I ran 14 miles....the longest run of my life! And did it on less than 4 hours of sleep! So San Antonio here I come! And before I know it, it will be time for the Austin Marathon.....yikes! That definitely makes me a little nervous!!

This school year is moving fast and furious, and although I constantly have a million things to do every day, I am spending a lot of time working with Lache and helping him get ready for all of his post-secondary options. Being the #2 recruit in the nation can be pretty overwhelming, and I have to commend him for handling it all pretty well! We will be going to San Antonio in January to watch him in the US Army All American game, first athlete in school history to be selected to go....what an honor!!




Jaysen: I can't believe the amazing year that Jaysen is having at school! Thank you Ms. Sandy!! He loves going to school, being the teacher's helper, and learning everything he can. He is such a little sponge....and is SO creative with a wild imagination!! He doesn't forget anything he sees or hears, and his spanish teachers love teaching him because it seems that the sky is the limit. He knows all the colors, shapes, and some animals in Spanish, and can sing a couple of songs and speak some phrases as well. He will point out stores, fast food restaurants, and gas stations by name while we are driving (Taco Bell, HEB, Wal-Mart, Target, Shell gas station, Mobil gas station, Exxon gas station, and 7-eleven gas station) and I am really not sure where he learned any of it from! He knows his home address, and can basically direct someone how to get to his house. I am also more convinced than ever that he is reading. Just the other day, he pointed to my tee shirt and said, "Momma, that says Wildcat Football! Are you going to a football game?" And if that's not enough, we were sitting at a red light, and he said "Momma, there is a new sign, it is a rectangle and it says One Way!" He also pointed to words on the side of the feedstore, and said, "Nana, that first word is BIG!" But the most amazing one is this....He saw a box of Weight Watchers Pizza flavored Pretzels, and said, "Momma, can I have some pizza?" Now there was nothing on the box other than the word PIZZA to even begin to make him think it was pizza, so he definitely must have recognized the word from a Pizza box or something. Anyway, with all that said, I definitely think that it is only a matter of time before he will be reading EVERYTHING!!




Dawsen: Definitely wins the prize for changing the most in such a short period of time! He is finally talking up a storm, repeating everything he hears someone say, or at least attempting to! He is able to label a duck (but often says quack-quack), a frog, and a fish. He also will sometimes say bite and drink, and knows who momma, daddy, bubba, nana, and papa are, and doesn't hesitate to call one of us when he wants something! He still only has 5 teeth, but I have never seen a kindegartener without teeth, so I guess at some point they will decide to come in. It definitely doesn't stop him from eating everything in sight!


We went to the pumpkin patch this past weekend, so I will attach a few pictures....the boys had a blast!! I will also be attaching some family pics that we recently took soon! Enjoy!!

Summer is basically over!

Well, I can't believe how fast this summer flew by....wow! Since last I posted, our family has had LOTS of exciting things happening! Here's an update:

Jaysen: As of June 17, 2009 Jaysen is FINALLY completely potty trained....yay! No more pull-ups (except at night), and he feels like SUCH a big boy! I was determined to get him trained before going back to school, but it basically just had to happen in his terms! I wonder where he gets that stubborness...lol! He is continually learning new things at school as well. His latest is the alphabet in sign language! He sure thinks he is a big dude!

Dawsen: Dawsen keeps growing and changing almost daily! At 17 months, he still only has 4 teeth, but there are several more that are about to break thru. He basically runs everywhere he goes, and is constantly on his bubba's heels! It won't be long and Jaysen is gonna learn that he better leave his brother alone! Although Dawsen continues to babble non-stop, he still only has about 15 words....of course Jaysen talks enough for both of them, so why should Dawsen even bother!

Deanna: I finally finished my capstone project for my superintendent program, and should receive my certificate any day....yay! I started back to work 2 weeks ago, so things have been crazy busy. We FINALLY have a buyer for our house, because of the fabulous realtor that we have.....thanks Scott Rowton.......and we close on August 14th....so that is way exciting! Especially since we have been renting a house in Temple since mid-June....whew....no more double payments! I also started running again, and actually joined the Galloway running group, so training for the San Antonio Rock and Roll half marathon, and maybe the Austin Marathon has begun!! Other than that, I am just busy trying to unpack, and getting ready for football season....Go Wildcats....and Trojans!

Scott: Scott has also been back to work for 2 weeks, and is really enjoying his new Trojan family. We seem to really feel as home, and are so thankful that God opened this door for us. Hopefully it will be a great season! It has also been nice to be in our own home together as a family, and to have daddy back!

This summer, we took Jaysen to Six Flags with some good friends, and he had a blast! I think he would have ridden EVERYTHING if he could have. That boy has NO FEAR!!!








My parents also took us to Great Wolf Lodge, and the boys had a great time. It had just the right kind of fun for everyone! While in the DFW area, my dad and Scott went to a Rangers game, and my mom and I went to see American Idols Live! Everyone had a really nice time.







Until next time.....enjoy the pics!

It's Been FOREVER!

I seriously can't believe it has been almost 2 months since I have posted....where in the world does the time go?!?! Things have been moving pretty fast and furious for us lately, so I thought I would send out an update.

Scott: As you all probably know, Scott has been actively looking for a job in the area. Well after careful consideration, he has finally found a new home....as a University High School Trojan! He will be right up the road in Waco, which is SO much better than 200 miles away! So please keep him in your thoughts as he starts this new endeavor!!



Deanna: All of my hard work and training paid off! I started training on March 1, 2009 for the half-marathon that I completed on May 23, 2009!! I finished 13.1 miles in 2 hours, 34 minutes, 2 minutes under my goal pace of 12 minute miles! It was probably one of the hardest things I have done in my life, but definitely very rewarding! My plan now is to do another one in San Antonio in November.....hopefully the cooler weather will make it easier!





The end of this school year approached quickly, and as always, moved right past me fast and furious! I have to say that I had a GREAT year as a Temple Wildcat, and have been so blessed to finally be in a job that I LOVE! The seniors of 2009 will be greatly missed, but I am very thankful to have had the opportunity to develop such amazing relationships with them, and they will never be forgotten!







Jaysen: For those of you mommies out there, you will definitely appreciate this. For everyone else, if this is TMI, I'm sorry.....just WAY excited! On June 2, 2009, Jaysen finally POO-POOed in the potty! YAY!! He did it at school, and since then has done it a few times at home too. We are still having accidents and having to work on incentives, but at least it's progress! Of course, he is WAY too smart to not have it all figured out by now anyway! A perfect example: Jaysen LOVES candy, and he asks for it several times a day! Well we told him he was not getting anymore candy until he poo-pooed in the potty....so rather than just do it, he stopped asking for candy! We are going on 2 full weeks now, and he still is not asking for candy.....I'm telling you, he is TOO smart for his own good!

Dawsen: Dawsen is growing like a weed, and his little personality is changing more and more every day! He FINALLY has 4 teeth, at 15 months old....lol! He is definitely a big boy, weighing almost 27 pounds, with a 19 inch noggin! He just recently figured out that he can make the shapes go into the right holes on the shape sorter, with a little help sometimes, and he is SO proud himself! As these pictures tell, he and his brother are really starting to enjoy playing together, and they have LOVE spending time outside!






Until next time....have a great summer!