Our wish for you...

To our family and friends

We wish you...

love,

comfort,

warmth,

family,

joy,

health,

and peace.

All our love, 

Carrie, Justin, and little Stuart!

I have a secret...

That I just can't tell you yet....hehe Eeek

Photo Booth Friday--October 19

Welcome Back 

to 

Photo Booth Friday

October 19

TODAY WE HAVE: 

My sweet cousin Genevieve!

Here are a couple of cool things about Gen: 

Cool Thing #1: Gen makes the BEST cookies EVER....seriously legit. Could eat em all day everyday best part is she shares.

Cool Thing #2: This picture was not taken at the wedding. This is a pre-wedding picture from when she came out to help us out. Thank you for all your help making our dream come true Gen, we CANNOT wait to return the favor to you someday.

Cool Thing #3: This girl is not only cute, but she is beautiful, and lovely, and FUNNY, and sweet, AND has one of the biggest hearts on the planet, and she shows it to EVERYONE she meets. One of the things that I love the most about this girl is that she can make you laugh one second and the very next second she just melts you to a pile of mush because she has such a beautiful kind soul. Gen- I hope that you recognize all of these things about yourself---when times are tough remember that all of this is WHO YOU ARE deep down inside. You truly are a gem!

Cool Thing #4: She is my god-sista....Holla

Cool Thing #5: Remember all those nice things I said above well she really is all those things BUT she also grew up with 4 older brothers (who are EQUALLY as wonderful) but man are they tough....Don't mess with this girl she can certainly put your sorry ass in place ;) 

And thats it!

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!

One reason I love my job...

So today we started talking about depression

simple day really 

The students had to do a little background reading and answer SIMPLE questions

on what depression is 

how it can be treated

yada yada yada. 

SOOOOO

The students were working and I was doing my millionth lap around the class to check in with kids and monitor progress and then....

I saw them 

A group of chatty boys

 whacking each other 

with their pencils. 

Sooooo 

I swiftly made my way over and said

"Does the article say that using your pencil as a weapon has anything to do with depression? I must have missed that in the article"

To which they replied

the classic

"____ started it first" and "It wasn't me"

classic. 

SOOO I replied

"Alright, I want to see what you have gotten done"

To which they replied..

"We are ALL done Mrs. Whipple" 

And then I found this on their paper...

to which they replied

"Get it? Mrs. Whipple 7 kids don't get depressed"

Which indicated that they did NOTHING but think of really sarcastic answers to really bad questions.

SOOOOO

I gave them my stern your in trouble face

and then I

took the paper so I could "keep it as evidence"

Because God knows I couldn't whip out my phone and take a picture right then and there! That TOTALLY had to wait till later.

CAUSE lets just be honest

THAT IS FUNNY and sortof CLEVER! 

In other news....

I am back to my more natural hair color now

which I can't really remember what that looks like but I think I am close

 see?...dark

Got me my first deer with my vehicle the other night

No car trauma...

Just emotional trauma

I cried big blubbery tears

You would think that I would be used to hitting things with my vehicle by now..

~nope~

still gets me 

EVERYTIME!

I just made a joke 

about something not funny

shame on me. 

Justin and I have really grown together as a couple over these past few months 

for example 

we had a conversation that went a little like this...

Justin: "I think that I am officially a coffee drinker"

(this is after almost six years of persistently denying coffee) 

Carrie: Ohh really?

Justin: Well, I've been taking a mug with me to work everyday, and yesterday I didn't have my mug. I actually got in my truck and drove to McDonald's to buy a cup of coffee

~and I was all like~

Carrie: (crying) "this is the happiest day of my life"

Because lets face it that is AWESOME!

And last but certainly 

NOT LEAST!

 I kept hearing everyone talk about this

Starbucks pumpkin spice latte

and I couldn't understand what all the buzz was about

until I tried it

It blew my mind. 

It was like pumpkin pie (good)

and latte (awesome)

all mixed together as one

AMAZING

Photo Booth Friday---October 5

Photo Booth Friday---October 5- from last week when I didn't post

When I first started this post I was going to dedicate it to my big brother Adam...thinking that it was his Birthday and how cool is it that Photo Booth Friday falls on his birthday?

But then I realized three things:

1. Adam did not get in the photo booth......LAME

2. Adam's birthday in November 5 not October 5. Eric's birthday is on October 26. And it took me as long as it did to type this to figure that whole thing out...

3. Eric's birthday falls on a Photo Booth Friday which is awesome except he didn't get in the photo booth either.....LAME

oey 

Anyways...today 

Photo Booth Friday today is all about....

 My handsome Hubby and his best friend Chris Weber...

 Here are a few cool things about Chris Weber and my Husband together....

Cool thing #1: They have been great friends since they were little. And if Justin tells a story about growing up more often than not Chris Weber is involved. 

Cool thing #2: One time they found a body together....I'm not joking. Its the story that Justin told me on our second date which for whatever reason did not scare me away. But they did, they found the body while fishing in a creek by their houses. The story behind it is really sad and that is not the point of photo booth Friday but what I can say is that they did help close a door for a family that was anguishing for years and years

Cool thing #3: These two built what Justin calls the "Love shack" when they were like 12. Which was a legit small house at the bottom of his parent's hill. They found old barn wood, telephone poles, anything you could think of to put it together.  They even installed a wood stove. It's still standing 15 years later.

Cool thing #4: They have kept in touch for so many years despite being hundreds and hundreds of miles away. I feel like when they talk and are together it is like they haven't skipped a beat. Justin is lucky to have a friend like Chris- and now so am I.

Oohhh you want more wedding pictures? my pleasure

I am eating VERY greasy pizza while doing this

OMG

so good

I am going to follow it with some 

homemade apple pie

OMG 

even better

Do you want to see?

Hey ya peeps.

Just wondering 

Did you want to see some wedding pictures? 

Well I have some.

Your welcome. 

Photo Booth Friday- September 28

Photo Booth Friday- September 28!! 
On Saturday...cause I stink

Its the Nunda Frasers!!

Here are a few cool things about the Nunda Frasers....

Cool thing #1: I can pin point about 65% of my happiest childhood memories being with these 5 people right here. No joke

Cool thing #2: Boy do they work hard!

Cool thing #3: This HAS to be one of the most handsome groups of young men that you will ever see in your entire life. Which is a miracle because when 65% of those best childhood memories occurred one of those boys had stitches, a broken bone, or an injury of some type. They played HARD. And I love them so much because I am continually trying to get each of them to just admit that I am their favorite cousin. And generally they will give me a cute sly smile and say "Okay Carrie" in their slow Nunda drawl.....ahhh...hahaha..

Cool thing #4: I'm going to get really real here for a second....These people represent strength and love. I think of the person missing from this photo almost every day, which is by no means a bad or sad thing. But it is a fragile reminder of how precious and sweet life is. I feel blessed to have learned such  incredible lessons from him at such a young age and to have walked as friend with him for 17 years. What a free and wild spirit....I share him each and every year to my health classes, it is my way of keeping his memory alive. I admire these 5 people's devotion to one another, their abundance of strength, and most of all their open loving hearts.

 now onto the next thing...

Cool thing #5: Uncle Luke and Aunt Cheryl love Stuart which gives them an A++++++ in my book.

And they get a Cool Thing #6:(which is more than anyone else so far): Because I just have to say it... Aunt Cheryl has the best laugh in the ENTIRE world...its like the happiest thing to hear EVER! Your soul just bubbles up and  seriously melts when she is around and making jokes. There is NO ONE in the world just like My Aunt Cheryl and Gosh do I love her.

These are people that make you feel ohh so good.

Photo Booth Friday--September 21st

Photo Booth Friday--September 21st

I think by this point

we have all earned an inappropriate Photo Booth viewing....

I mean you guys have stuck around this long

Why not?

Not to mention 

I am running out of appropriate pictures.

---ehhhmmmm---

already

I had to think hard about this series...

Do I comment?

Or do I let the pictures do the talking??

Ultimately..

The pictures

say 

it 

all.....

Dad says "Hence we have 5 kids..."

eeeehhmmm 

Sorry

Here are just a few cool things about my parents:

Cool thing #1: Through thick and thin, no matter what they stand by one another, their family, and friends. They taught me to love unconditionally and what that means

Cool thing #2: I didn't know what spoiling was until they had grandkids. I have never seen anything like it EVER! They are the best grandparents!

Cool thing #3: I have some really great memories of them attempting to keep order in a house of 5 kids. One involves chasing us around the house with a wooden spoon. Another involves duck taping our mouths shut---

or just mine?

 Another involves making us stand in the middle of the living room just holding hands and looking at one another. And the last involves locking us in the bathroom until we "loved each other again"

It wasn't abuse

It was survival...

Cool thing #4: I have never in my entire life met two people who give more... EVER

Love you both so much! Thanks for the BEST example...

And I cannot believe I am going to say this:

This is most likely the reason for the duck tape...

(Adam, Eric, Kimmie, and Jeff-ie close your eyes or stop reading...) 

Mom-- Thanks for still grabbin Dad's snake

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eeeewwww (shudder)

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Dirty 

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I need to shower

Photo Booth Friday---September 14th

Photo Booth-- Friday September 14th!

Here we have..

Randy and Elaine Farrand!

Here are a few cool things about Randy and Elaine: 

Cool thing #1: I have nothing but great things to say about these two because...they raised the most wonderful friends a girl could ask for. Randy and Elaine are Amanda's parents. Not only is Amanda my sister in law but she is also one of the best friends I could ever imagine having. ANNDDDDD Christine, Amanda's sister, IS JUST AS GREAT! seriously great

Cool thing #2: They are just plain FUN!

Cool thing #3: Randy has an incredibly embarrassing set of videos of me...they have to do with dancing on a stage in front of a lot of people....I'm red just thinking about it. 

Cool thing #4: One or both of them are VERY artistic...because their kids have some SERIOUS talent. 

Cool thing #5: They are always there for you when you need them...thanks guys!

Until next week---

Harvest moon

This one time

just this past weekend

I went to the farmers market

and spoke to a farmer about planting garlic. 

I said to that man...

"when do I plant the garlic seeds?"

to which he replied

"After the first harvest moon little one"

to which I am pretty sure I

 contorted my face 

to look real ugly

 and I looked at him

and I said

"Thank you Big Running Bull, I will go home send smoke signals to my great ancestors, their wisdom will guide me to the harvest moon"

(I didn't REALLY say that because I was trying to look like a smart farmer, I think I just said ohh "yeah I totally know when that is")

but really I was like whatev

I'm gunna google that, cause I got me no idea when or what that there harvest moon is.
Nor do I have time to send smoke signals 

psshhh 

he thinks I might know something about something...

NOPE! 

ANYWAYS!

We were thinking about growing garlic now that the hops are underway 

but no one knows when to plant

except me me because google told me 

It's October 11

October 12 is national garlic planting day

I'm lieing its not national garlic planting day 

It will just be Whipple garlic planting day.

AAHHHH

Are you exhausted reading yet?

I'm exhausting myself

I can't make up my dang mind 

Anyways here are a few pictures of our HOP harvest 

that was totally awesome 

even though we get 

a whopping 

$00 

yep 

zero dollars 

for it this year

...I am telling you AWESOME

Then remind me to tell you about the time that I made Justin pose for me to take pictures. 

I like made him into a model 

It was cool 

and the pics are funny

cause he totally got into it. 

tee hehe 

Hes sooooo stuck with me 

Here is the most 

Important 

Part of hop farming

After you are done picking

YOU MUST

 STick your head in the bag

to smell the hoppy loveliness

 Dog fight

 Indian chicken warrior

 Indian strong man warrior

 FYI 

These two just had their very first wedding anniversary 

WOOT WOOT 

wheeellpppp

thats all for now folks
Please excuse
the abundance of sarcasm
the teenagers are rubbing off on on me
and teachers are not allowed to be sarcastic
so I save it all up for you
and poor poor Justin
ahhh I love that man :)

Until the harvest moon ...