Carr Family

Week in Lorimor Iowa

2010-06-06T10:03:00.004-06:00

Marty went to his Grandpa Rick's for a week. He had a blast. They went fishing almost everyday. Here is a picture of one of the fish he caught. He was so proud. Marty also go to shot his 22 while he was there. He is a great shot. He wrote Greg a thank you note and sent him some of the targets he shot. Grandpa said he fixed 3 meals a day, Marty is a young boy he can eat!! Marty was not ready to come home. He loves being in the country. He may go back in August.

Morel Hunting

2010-04-28T16:57:00.002-06:00

So this year we have not had alot of luck morel mushroom hunting. We seem to find a few here and a few there. We have found enough to feed ourselves three times but thats it! Ugh! I still have yet to find a honey hole!

The season it about over for our area.

Can't Sleep

2010-04-25T22:23:00.002-06:00

So here I find myself up late again (11pm)and can't sleep. This has been happening a lot in the last few months. Not too sure why. For years I was the type of person that would go to bed at 9pm and not get up until 6am the next morning. I love my sleep......this is so frustrating.

I did go to the gym today and worked out! Yea me! Thought that would help me with the sleeping part. So far its not working. I will keep up the workouts cause I felt good after working out. Marty is also getting into the whole working out again. I hope that lasts a long time again. He was real good about working out when Thai was working with him in the past. I wish Thai still lived here in Lawrence. (Thanks Thai)

So as you can see I did change my background. It's so cute. Hopefully soon the site will give me access to the header. I guess I had to be granted access so we will check the email tomorrow. I got the background from a friends blog site. So if you want to change your backgrounds try Leelou Blogs. They are all very cute. (Thanks Amber)

Well I have been on the computer now for about 2 hours. I think I will try to sleep again.

In The Forrest.....part two

2010-04-18T11:30:00.005-06:00

The trees were amazing!!! Enjoy!

In The Forrest...part one

2010-04-18T11:19:00.003-06:00

Some images from the Forrest. We did not find any mushrooms but we loved the scenery.

Morels!!!!! Found 4-11-2010

2010-04-12T21:37:00.003-06:00

Morels Morels Morels

I think I found the worlds smallest morel! I found morels in areas I did not look last year. The areas I was searching last year do not seem to be producing morels this year. I know the picture looks like a lot but there is only about two pans full. They are all very small. We need light evening rain and for the temperatures to stay in the 50's overnight. So all of you out there need to pray for light evening rain!!! If there is anyone out there who owns land and does not hunt morels themselves I would love to talk to you and teach you what to look for. I don't know anyone in Kansas who will let me hunt morels on their land. Email me rjmcarr@hotmail.com .

Swimming

2010-03-28T18:40:00.004-06:00

I took Marty and some of his friends swimming where I work today. It was so much fun. Today turned out to be a beautiful day. I Loved the sunshine.

I did not take the picture, but I love it. It makes me think of summer.......I can't wait for summer!

St Pattys 2010

2010-03-25T21:26:00.003-06:00

2010 St. Patty's Parade!

St. Patty's Day Parade 2010

We were apart of the Cooper's Cause Parade Event again this year. We all were so cold waiting for it to start. We all had so much fun. Until next year my friends!

2010-03-09T19:33:00.001-07:00

Let it rain! Let it rain! Let it rain!

Rain is good in moderation. We need rain for morrell mushrooms!!!! and flowers too.

Spring just around the corner, yea!

2010-03-07T14:22:00.002-07:00

Worked in the yard today. I had Marty and one of his friends helping me. It was so nice out there. I found 3 snakes in my yard today, yuck. I didn't think is was warm enough for snakes to be out, but I guess I was wrong!! I have tuplips coming up in the yard already! Spring is just around the corner, so you know what that means.......MORRELL MUSHROOMS! I can't wait!

finally posting

2010-03-05T13:44:00.003-07:00

So I know it's been a long time since I blogged. I will do my best to keep up with this blog so I can keep all of you up to date with my family.

Marty is 11 now and has officially hit puberty!!! (Doctor confirmed) Ugh! Oh the joys we have ahead of us. I will keep you all entertained over the next few years. Marty would be so mad at me if I put his latest story on here, so sorry I can't share.

Marty weighs 78 lbs and is 4'6"......almost as tall as his mom!! He is pretty excited about being taller than his mom.

We have a puppy, Harley, that we got around Christmas, he is 5 months old now and weighs 31 lbs! Triumph is a totally different dog, he loves Harley! Triumph went through a stage of not eating, not playing, just laying around. I guess dogs can get depressed like us. So, now Triumph has a friend!!

I will try to get pictures up soon...

Pain Written By Julie Carr

2009-08-27T17:13:00.003-06:00

Pain
The pain at times is too much to bare,
This is so unfair.
The pain takes over my heart,
I sometimes feel like I am falling apart.
At times I want to numb the pain,
Other times I want to feel the pain.
Nothing truly makes the pain go away,
All I can do is wait for another day.

Me? Written by Julie Carr

2009-08-20T20:58:00.002-06:00

Being me without you
I am not sure I can be just me.
There has always been you and me.
The Man I choose to spend my lie with
The Man I just knew I would grow old with.
How do I be just me?
That's not the way it was suppose to be.
I don't want to be me without you
But I do know I have to be me.

The Burning Flame Written By Julie Carr

2009-08-14T20:18:00.005-06:00

Why did God take you away from me today,
What is his plan anyway.
My life has always been about you and me,
I just keep wondering how can this be.
I never thought I would lose you at this age,
Why did our life story have to have this page.
I never imagined our life without each other,
I can not be the Dad and the Mother.
I know I should not want to point blame,
But my life will never be the same.
It's time for me to stand on my own,
Why do I have to do this alone.
This is the time I need to be brave,
And remember the life we had made.
You will always be alive in my heart,
No matter how far apart.
Know that the flame is burning bright,
Just for you every night.

Dealing with death

2009-08-03T22:03:00.004-06:00

From all the websites I have read this is good information:
When you first lose someone, you may feel like your world has ended. You need to readjust to your life without this person in it. There is no time frame for this. It may only take you six months to look at this person's picture and not be upset. This is normal. Feelings of guilt, anger, shame, helplessness, regret, sleeplessness and anxiousness are all very normal reactions. You may have these feelings for a year. That is completely normal. Speaking of the deceased as though they are still a part of your life is normal. Once you have adjusted to the loss, these feelings will subside.

Information from websites about kids:
Several websites all say the same thing about preadolescence, 11 to 13, begin to view death as real, final, and universal and are fascinated by details of the illness and funeral.
(This makes since why Marty was not freaked out when he picked out the burial site for his father. I was amazed how calm and confident he was that day.)

This is a subject I wish nobody ever had to deal with but the reality of life is that death follows, sometimes much too early.

God Knows......

2009-08-03T21:23:00.003-06:00

When you're tired and discouraged from fruitless efforts ...
God knows how hard you tried.

When you've cried so long and your heart is in anguish ...
God has counted your tears.

If you feel that your life is on hold and time has passed you by ...
God is waiting with you.

When you're lonely and your friends are too busy even for a phone call ...
God is by your side.

When you think you've tried everything and don't know where to turn ...
God is the solution.

When nothing makes sense and you are confused or frustrated ...
God has the answer.

If suddenly your outlook is brighter and you find traces of hope ...
God has whispered to you.

When something joyful happens and you are filled with awe ...
God has smiled on you.

When you have a purpose to fulfill and a dream to follow ...
God has opened your eyes and called you by name.

Remember that wherever you are or whatever you are facing ...
GOD KNOWS.

As I sit here again, not able to sleep, I found this poem online while reading several website about coping with the death of a loved one. This poem said a lot to me. So I wanted to share it with you all.

Sunday, July 26th

2009-07-26T22:42:00.003-06:00

Well here I am again and I can not sleep. Going to bed is the hardest right now. I just cannot shut my brain off. I lay down and it starts racing. I have tried everything, shutting off the TV, turning on the fan, shutting off the fan, dimming the light, covering my head,nothing is working, nothing! So here I am blogging.

My eyes are a little swollen from crying some today. I see Rick grave everytime I leave the house, everytime I am in the front yard, it's so hard. I had some fake purple flowers on his grave site today. They are the flowers from the plant his Grandma Ballentine sent to me and Marty. Thank you Grandma. I will try to take a picture and post it on here for you.

I was am doing okay today until bedtime. I miss Rick so much. I know he is in a better place but I want him here with me so much. I think about all the stuff I want to still say to him, things I want to do with him, things I want him to do with Marty. Oh this sucks. This is just not fair. I never thought I would be raising our child alone or living alone at 37. I am too young to be a widow.

There is so much Marty needs to learn from his Father, how am I going to replace that. I just hope I can give Marty all the love he will need. I know I am strong but there is nothing that can replace the love of a father. I grew up not having the love from my biological father and there were always so many questions I had. I did grow up with a step father that did his best to raise me as his own but you know I always just wanted to be with "my dad". I will do everything in my power to remind Marty when he is down how much his Father loved him. I am glad I took lots of pictures. I keep thinking during the last 6 months I should have taken more pictures but I do have a lot to share with Marty.

The love Rick showed me was like no other love I had ever had. He was a good man. May he rest in peace now.

starting over............

2009-07-21T23:26:00.002-06:00

So, it has been a long time since I posted anything on this blog. But I feel this may be my only way of putting some words out there to keep myself sane. Get a tissue you will need it.

A lot has changed since the last time I posted. My husband Rick was diagnosed with cancer at the beginning of this year. You can read about his treatments at www.caringbridge.org/visit/rickcarrjr . He had only been battling cancer since Jan. 6Th. The cancer spread fast and caused him to be in a lot of pain. He was taking pain medication, they keep him comfortable but never got him out of pain. His health went down real fast.

On July 4Th my husband lost his fight with cancer. I woke up to find him not breathing. That was the worse day of my life. I lost my best friend. I still play that day in my head over and over and over again. I have moments where I think oh I should have done this or oh I should have done that. I know I can not live like that but it is hard not to have those thoughts. My husband is in a better place now and is not in any pain. I just keep telling myself that everyday.

My husband and I just celebrated our 20Th anniversary. The hardest part of all of this right now is waking up alone. The feeling of being alone and sad is so hard to even imagine that it will get better. I have good hours and bad hours. When I feel sad all I want right now is to be alone. I sleep with Rick's jacket, it smells like him. I wear his shirts sometimes to bed.

I also have Marty who cries at bedtime. He sleeps with a picture of his dad. He has had a pretty good night the last two nights so lets hope that will get better soon. I have been trying to keep him busy. So far, it has worked. It is hardest for him when we get home and things are winding down.

I just know harder days are ahead, but I can not imagine it getting any worse than it is right now. Here it is again 12am and I can not sleep. Not sleeping is becoming an issue. It sucks. I cannot believe this all happened so fast. Unfortunetly it makes me think about all of the things we did not get to do with Rick. Please if you take anything away from reading this blog make it this: live one day at a time like it is your last, tell all your family you love them everyday, don't have any regrets, live life to the fullest the best way you know how.

Well, I am going to shut off the computer, maybe take the dog back outside and try to get some rest.

Report Card 2nd trimester

2009-03-07T17:51:00.003-07:00

Marty imporved all of his grades!

Reading - B

Writing - B

Math - B

Science - B

Social Studies - B

Art - S

PE - E

Music - E

WAY TO GO MARTY!!

Changes.......in 2009

2009-02-11T10:30:00.002-07:00

We have been so busy lately. There is a lot going on with the family right now. I will post about it later.

Marty is getting along fine with everything going on. He is such a brave young man. It's amazing how fast kids grow up. Watching Marty become a young man is priceless. He is so thoughtful most of the time.

Sorry for bragging but he's a great kid. Being a parent is the most rewarding experience.

Spelling Bee Update

2009-01-17T16:36:00.003-07:00

The spelling bee was Wednesday, January 14th. Marty will tell you he was not the first one out, he was the second one. He was nervous, he said he miss spelled the word "answer" he got the s and w backwards. He will also tell you the first kid out was a sixth grader. I told him I was proud of him for doing his best. This will give him something to improve on for next time! I am so proud of him for being one of two from his class that was able to participate. I told him all he can do is his best!

Spelling Bee

2009-01-10T18:57:00.002-07:00

Marty is in the school spelling bee for the first time!! There are two students from each class participating in the contest. The spelling bee is Wednesday Jan 14th, wish him luck!!

Nature 2008

2009-01-05T19:37:00.003-07:00

I love taking pics of nature and the sky.

Here are a few photos I wanted to share with you all. Enjoy

Christmas 2008

2009-01-01T17:23:00.005-07:00

Christmas 2008 was different this year. Rick stayed home due to back probelms so Marty and I headed to Iowa without him. This is the first year in 19 years that I did not spend it with my husband. It was not the same at all. The weather was okay we did run into some bad roads near Cameron. We did get to see Grandma Ballentine ( Marty's great grandma). Thank you to Grandma Ballentine and Terry they helped buy Marty a wii for Christmas. Thank you guys so much we had so much fun with the wii. I love the bowling game!! We also got to spend time with Rick's best friend Dave. We go to Dave's mom's house every Christmas Eve. It was nice seeing everyone but not the same without my husband. While we were in Iowa they had freezing rain. They had probably a foot of snow already on the ground. Marty and I were so happy to finally head home the day after Christmas. As we got closer to Kansas City the temp went up 30 degrees!! I love warm weather!! It was so nice to get home and spend time with Rick. We did "our " christmas on the 26th it was so nice!

A friend of mine "Kelly" took Rick a plate of food on Christmas Day. Thank you so much Kelly he was pretty bad off, home alone and it pain. Your the best Kelly!

We also had Christmas with Terry and Nadene . They had a beautiful tree, here is a pic of our favorite ornament! Go Jayhawks!

Love the Tree!

We hope the year 2008 was great for all. We had a wonderful year. We are looking forward to 2009! We wish you all a Happy New Year.

School Play 12-11-2008

2008-12-12T18:10:00.002-07:00

Marty sang a solo in the school christmas play. He did so good. Sorry I cannot figure out how to get the video on the blog! He looked so grown up on that stage. After the play we ate cookies an drank some juice. It was a good time! I will try to post pics later.

Up On the Roof

2008-12-06T19:07:00.003-07:00

So as you can see Marty went up on the roof of the house with his dad to clean out the gutters. He has no fear, that scares the hell out of me sometimes. I have never been on the roof of the house and do not plan on going up there any time soon. He was so happy to go up there, boys!

Enjoy!

Fall leaves around town

2008-11-14T19:03:00.005-07:00

I love the fall season

Hope you enjoy the photos.

Halloween 2008

2008-11-12T18:40:00.004-07:00

This Halloween was a blast. Marty had Randy "Macho Man" Savage and Hulk Hogan (impersonator's) come by the house and surprise him. He could not believe it. One of these guys work for me and the other is a member of the gym where I work. Thank you to them for making Marty's Halloween a remember able one. As you can see Marty's costume was gross. He had a bleeding chest! Yuck! When we were shopping for a costume I was trying to get Marty to pick a pirate outfit or something along those lines and he looked over at me and said "Mom I am not a baby anymore, I want my costume to be gory." I was sad. So as you can see I let him get what he wanted. I as you can see was a Green M&M! We had a lot of fun. We went trick or treating at Nadene's job, Marty go so much candy. Then we went downtown for the "safe" trick or treating the city of Lawrence puts on for the kids. The weather was so nice this year it made downtown so busy. After that we went to the Lawrence parks and rec event at the East Lawrence center it was not fun at all. So we went to McDonalds and Long John Silvers!

Hope you all enjoy the pics.

KU Game 10-11-2008

2008-10-13T19:45:00.003-06:00

We went to the KU Football game October 11, 2008 we had a blast. We all had our KU gear on!!

Rock Chalk Jay Hawk!

5th Grade!

2008-08-24T11:59:00.001-06:00

Marty started 5th grade this year. Can you believe it. He has grown up so fast. He is excited about this year. Just think he will be in junior high in two years! OMG! Time sure flys.

Rick on YouTube! 2008

2008-08-24T11:56:00.000-06:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ugDd1Or7v4
Click on this link above and it should take you to YouTube.
You will see Rick riding up the hill at Troy Kansas.

When we get other items dowloaded on youtube we will post the link.
Enjoy!

Summer fun photo's

2008-07-30T20:35:00.001-06:00

Yes, that's mud on his face!

Here's Marty with his friends from his 10th Bday party.

Here he is with his friend Sebrena.

Here are shots from when we went to worlds of fun.

At a fireworks stand he got to ride a camel.

Marty and Chandler love to swim!!!

Here he is goofing off with his dad.

Gotta love the helmet. Safety first!

Here is Marty mowing his grandpa Rick's lawn. He thinks he can drive now!

Hope you all enjoy the photos!! We have had a great summer. School starts August 13th! Marty will be in the 5th grade can you believe it.

Summer fun

2008-07-20T20:12:00.000-06:00

This summer Marty has been busy with boys /girls club and swimming with mom and friends. He loves going to the pool. He 's a great swimmer. Here he is with his friends at the gym pool. You should see him he is so tan! He tans well like his father.

Hill Climb July 2008

2008-07-20T20:09:00.000-06:00

Another hill climb................Rick went up the hill in 7.749 seconds! Yeah! Congrats to my husband. To me that's fast! He was ranked 5th in his class!

Here's a photo of Marty with his dads shades on at the hill climb.

What a cool dude!

4th of July

2008-07-12T13:38:00.000-06:00

We have a great 4th of July. We watched fireworks at Clinton lake on July 4th and at Perry Damn on July 5th! If was so much fun. Here are a few photos from the shows. We grilled out a lot that weekend.

Here are a few pictures of the fireworks show.

No training wheels

2008-07-02T13:36:00.002-06:00

On June 14th the training wheels came of Marty's bike!! It only took him a few tries and he was off! Just like a pro. We are so proud of him!

Here are a few pics. Enjoy

Hill Climb June 2008

2008-07-01T17:17:00.000-06:00

The hill climb in June was Hot!! We had a lot of fun. Rick went up the hill in 8.5 and 8.2 seconds. We will have a hill climb each month until September. In September we will have 2 day event. We will keep you all posted.

Hill Climb May 2008

2008-05-25T19:59:00.000-06:00

Rick is participating in the Hill Climbs in Troy Kansas again this year. We will keep you all updated on this blog, so please check back regularly. The first hill climb this year was on May 18th he ranked 5th in his class. He went up the hill in 8.298 seconds and 8.12seconds . He did great. Of course he wants to go up the hill faster, so that means a big bore kit is in the future.

Here is a video from last year............Enjoy

You can visit the website at http://www.kingofthehill.org/ for all the Hill Climb dates. The hill climbs run from May until September.

Grades!

2008-05-25T15:43:00.000-06:00

Here are Marty's final grades from 4th grade:
Reading: A-
Writing: A-
Math: A-
Science: C+
Social Studies: A

Okay we need to work on Science! It shows his grade in science the first trimester was a B, second trimester was a B, and third trimester was a C+. Every item listed in the science section, he went from an M (making progress) to an S (successfully exhibits learner behaviors). So, I am not sure why his grade went down. I would have to assume it was a final test score! We will have to watch this in 5th grade!

Overall I would say Marty did very well! Bravo to Marty!!!

School is out!

2008-05-24T20:08:00.001-06:00

Marty is out of school. He will be going in the 5Th grade! Wow! If feels like yesterday I was dropping him of at preschool and crying the whole way to the car. If he only knew how hard it was on his mom for him to go to school.

Marty is looking forward to swimming this summer. Marty can now dive down to the bottom of the pool and get the torpedo. He's a great swimmer. Seeing him swim on his own is priceless!

Enjoy the video.........

2008-05-09T19:55:00.000-06:00

Marty and I went out mushroom hunting again tonight and only found three. He's a great hunter! Yesterday he spotted the first mushroom, today I spotted the first one. For all of you who think "yuck mushrooms" you need to try them before you judge they are the bomb!! Better than any mushroom I have ever had at any restaurant!! Of course I am the cook in my kitchen.

We take Triumph with us mushroom hunting, we have not been able to teach him to find the mushrooms, maybe someday. We make him smell everyone we find before we pick them, he just tries to eat the mushroom. Silly dog! Marty and the dog got very mud tonight it had just rain a few hours ago and of course I did not have my camera! Wow that's a first for me! Here's a photo from the other day.

2008-04-30T18:27:00.000-06:00

These are pictures from our "morel hunting". Marty found his first morel. Still have not found that "mother load" everyone talks about.

Happy Hunting!!!

Springtime

2008-04-29T12:09:00.000-06:00

Spring is here! With spring comes Morel Mushrooms. We have spent hours in the forrest hunting morel mushrooms. Still have not found what many call the "mother load". All together we have found about 40. They were good! I will continue for the next couple of weeks to go "hunitng". Wish me luck!!! These are not pictures I took just thought they were good

2008-03-07T16:45:00.001-07:00

Sorry to all......Life gets busy and time flies! I will try to write more to keep everyone up to date on the Carr Family.

The year 2008 is going great so far. We had a wonderful Valentines Day. I hope all of you got what you were wishing for. Marty's class had a party and he had a blast. He still has all of his valentine cards from his friends at school.

Marty had a follow up appointment for growth at Children's Mercy on February 27th. He is now 4 foot 2 inches TALL! He weighs 59.9 lbs! He is growing like a weed.

We have school pictures we will be sending out to all of you. This year the school took fall and spring pictures. I bought both. They came out so good. Wait til' you see them. I will send them off this weekend.

2008-01-12T18:13:00.000-07:00

CHRISTMAS.....2007 NEW YEARS.....2008

We made it to Iowa. We had so much fun visiting family and friends. It was great seeing everyone. We were real glad the weather was nice all they way to Perry. Marty got lots of items he asked "Santa" for. He still had that level of excitement when he opened the presents from "Santa".

The New Year has come and gone. I can not believe it's 2008! Marty is in the 4th grade. Wow how time gets away from us all. We have so much to be thankful for, every year is priceless for us. Happy New Year to All!

2007-12-22T19:48:00.001-07:00

We went to the Lawrence Art Center and seen Santa this year. Marty knows about "Santa". His friends at school educated him. Marty also went shopping with the elves at the art center. They take him in a large room filled with gifts on tables that he can purchase with his money. He loves it. This gives him a chance to go shopping for Mom and Dad and our presents are a secret until we open them on Christmas Day. I love Christmas. We will take a trip to Iowa soon to see family members for Christmas. Today, December 22nd we got 6+ inches of snow in Lawrence so our trip is delayed. We will hopefully drive to Iowa tomorrow to see everyone. Merry Christmas to all of you.

2007-11-25T15:49:00.000-07:00

Thanksgiving was quite this year. We had a great meal and watched a lot of football. The day after Thanksgiving I went shopping! I got up at 2:30am and stood outside Bestbuy from about 3 am til 5 am. It was only 13 degrees. I was so cold. I got a lot of great gifts while shopping. I made it to 5 stores in one hour and got everything on my list! I was so proud of myself. I got my shopping for 5 people done that day. I know several of you think I am crazy for going shopping that early but I saved about $285!!!! I love black Friday!! I can't wait for Christmas and for people to see the gifts I got for them. I know they will love them.

Game Day

2007-11-11T16:05:00.000-07:00

As you can see I put my game face on! We are getting ready for a KU basketball game. Marty is now a registered Jr. JayHawker! Go KU!

School Grades

2007-11-08T12:53:00.000-07:00

Marty is now in the 4th grade. This year is the first year he gets letter grades. We are proud to tell you Marty got A's and B's on his report card! He is doing great this year in school.

Our Dog

2007-11-05T17:54:00.000-07:00

Here is the newest addition to our family, Triumph. He was adopted from the humane society. He is a mix of Great Pyrennes, Shar Pei, and Sheppard. He is a good dog. Enjoy.

Growth update

2007-11-05T17:48:00.000-07:00

As some of you know, Marty is on a growth hormone to help him grow. He has been taking daily shots from Mom and Dad since May 15, 2007. He is very brave. As of today, he is now 4 foot 1 inch and 55 lbs. He only has about 10 inches and he will be taller than Mom. He is pretty excited about that.

Halloween 2007 and New Blog

2007-11-04T18:50:00.001-07:00

Halloween was a blast this year. Marty got to go trick-or-treating for 3 hours, he has so much candy. He eats a piece or two everyday, it's almost gone (mom bagged half of it up). Marty went to his first haunted house. It was a little scary. He made it half way through! He did great, he didn't cry. We also made it to Worlds Of Fun this year. After 7pm that night the whole place became haunted, it was so much fun. The clowns got pretty scary for Marty. He was a trooper that night. We were there from 4pm unitl midnight it was so much fun. It was real busy.

We will continue to blog here periodically to keep all updated on the Carr Family. Please visit often. If you decide to make your own blogger please email me the address so we can stay in touch. I hope this finds you all doing well.