4 Wheelin' Fun

Here are some videos from our trip to Conway to visit the Tates.

Declan was crazy fast on them and Josie drove like a grandma!:)

Hanging Out With The Tate Family

Since this summer was kind of crazy with BJ having the kids full time and due to having surgery in March I didn't have much vacation time left but we got to take a 4 day weekend and visit our friends', the Tates, who live a few miles outside of Conway. They have a "mini-farm", with lots of animals, a pool and 4 wheelers! We had a great time and it was hard to leave! As we were driving away, Josie says "when can we come back and stay for a week?" I told her hopefully sooner then later!

Feeding the goats.

Feeding one of the horses.

Precious, the dog, whom Josie loved!

One of Declan's favorite things about the trip, Red, the dog.

Josie on the 4 wheeler

Dec on the 4 wheeler (he did not need any coaxing to give a "thumbs up")!

This was his favorite activity on the trip!

My baby girl turns 8!

I can't believe that it has been 8 years since I gave birth to Josephine Rain Carsten. Her dad & I were planning on delivering at home. I was born at home and it seemed that it would be such a natural experience. However, God had other plans. I wasn't feeling well and she was 10 days overdue. My midwife came to our house and did an exam. I had pre-eclampsia (toxemia) and needed to get to the hospital. Needless to say I was completely freaked out. We arrived at St Mary's Hospital in Rogers, AR around 2:30 p.m. Friends and family quickly gathered in the waiting room. I was immediately stuck with an IV, which pumped my body full of meds to help with the toxemia. Dr Abernathy was the doctor on call that day. He informed me that if I didn't start labor, on my own, within 1 hour, that I would be induced. I had planned to have a natural birth (no pain meds) and knew that induction would probably involve an epidural. Thankfully I started labor by 3:30 p.m. I was able to stay on top of the contractions and around 9:30 p.m. told the nurse that I either needed to puke, poop or push! Dr Abernathy arrived and I began pushing, although he quickly asked me to stop so that he could break my water (in order to prevent it from exploding all over him). That was more difficult then the previous 6 hours of labor! I think I pretty much told him that he was crazy! He quickly broke the water bag and 2-3 pushes later I was holding my beautiful baby girl! AMAZING was the only thought going through my mind as I held her!

Great Song

I don't know if Ben Harper believes in God or not, but if you look at this from a Christian perspective it is an AMAZING song and I love the passionate way he sings it!

"I believe in a better way.

Fools will be fools and wise will be wise

but I will look this world straight in the eyes.

I believe in a better way.

What good is a man who won't take a stand?

What good is a cynic with no better plan?

I believe in a better way.

EVERYONE I KNOW IS IN THE FIGHT OF THEIR LIVES...and I believe there's a better way"

Ben Harper

4th of July

Here's a toast to our inalienable rights to life, liberty & the pursuit of happiness! Our founding fathers certainly got that right along with the part about In God We Trust, although 233 years later we seem to keep screwing things up. God should most definitely be included in the Constitution. Maybe if politics weren't so separate from God The Creator, this world wouldn't be in such a state of destruction.

Independence Day. To be free. To be yourself. To pursue true joy.

July 3rd

For the past 3-4 years I have watched the Bella Vista fireworks with my friends Kate & Quentin. The fireworks are shot off of the dam at Loch Lomond and everyone gets to park at the bottom of the dam. It is AMAZING! The fireworks pretty much explode above your head.

This year we kicked it up a notch and 6 vehicles full of people caravaned out to the location, cooked out, hung out and watched the fireworks. We had more food then you could possibly imagine and the weather was PERFECT! We were in the front row and lucked out with some shade trees. By the end of the night, everyone was like "let's do this again next year"! So we are considering this year the 1st annual Carsten/Lunsford Celebration since the past get togethers have been pretty wimpy.

Here is to many more years of celebrating with friends at the Bella Vista Fireworks! If you live close and would like to join us next year, please do so because the more the merrier!

Here are some pictures of folks eating and relaxing.

Declan playing with some of the kids.

Josie, being silly, & hanging with Haley.