Welcome to Jack's page

Grandparent's visit for Thanksgiving

2010-04-05T22:49:00.000-05:00

Rockin out with Jack

2010-04-05T22:32:00.000-05:00

Trick or Treating on Halloween

2009-11-21T14:33:00.002-06:00

This was Jack's first year trick or treating and he loved it! He was a huge fan of getting candy, he is still begging for candy all the time. (We just need to throw it out)He was so cute to watch. He would knock and then once the door would open he would walk in like he owned the place. Then we would tell him to say trick or treat and it would come out about half of the time. He loved it when people would just let him pick he was trying to shove as much candy as he could fit into his little hands. We were out for over an hour and a half. He got lots of good chocolate for Mom!

Jack's first week of school

2009-10-29T12:29:00.002-05:00

Jack started going to Mother's day out at Bright Beginnings in Frisco. He started at the beginning of September and he been doing so well. His teacher Mrs. Jennifer fills out a report of his behavior every day and so far every one has been great. I actually had to ask her if she was being truthful and she said, believe me I would tell you if he was acting up. So he must just save up all his hitting, kicking and punching for when mommy is around. He is really loving school and I am so glad we decided to send him!

2009-10-29T12:21:00.003-05:00

Jack playing dress up

2009-10-29T12:01:00.001-05:00

Brunch with the Makuvire's and the Robinett's

2009-10-27T11:45:00.002-05:00

State Fair of Texas

2009-10-27T11:31:00.002-05:00

Jack's 2nd birthday party

2009-09-25T18:15:00.003-05:00

South Dakota Trip

2009-09-23T23:14:00.006-05:00

Jack turns 2

2009-09-23T22:37:00.001-05:00

Happy 2nd birthday Jack!!!

2009-09-07T23:08:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday baby Jack!
I can't believe you're 2!
It seems like such a short time ago,
I first laid eyes on you.

You have grown so fast,
which is not a big shock.
By the way you eat,
you should be the biggest on the block!

You are such a loving boy.
You give the best fishy kiss.
Your sweet hugs are the greatest,
They cause my mommy bliss!

Since you came to us,
how our lives have changed.
We did not know how wonderfully,
everything in our world would be rearranged.

We are all so richly blessed,
by your smiling face.
Each day that goes by,
I thank God for your sweet embrace.

4th of July

2009-08-18T16:47:00.002-05:00

The Savannah pool with the Fam

2009-08-18T16:46:00.002-05:00

Luke's bday

2009-08-18T16:43:00.002-05:00

Zack, Xavier and Dominic come for a visit

2009-08-18T16:38:00.008-05:00

Kristen's B-day

2009-08-18T16:29:00.003-05:00

BBQ with the Macks and the Robbs

2009-08-18T16:25:00.001-05:00

SO SORRY!!!

2009-08-18T16:23:00.002-05:00

Ok, I apologize!!!! I am a bad blogger. I know, I have not updated Jack's blog in a really long time. I have heard it from many of you that follow Jack's blog. In case you wanted to see what we have been up to over the past few months I am going to update the blog with as many pictures as I can stand to put up today. We love you all and we are glad you are a part of our lives. Thank you for taking the time to see what my little precious toddler is up to.

The Wiggly play center

2009-08-01T12:19:00.002-05:00

The Crawfish Broil

2009-07-11T15:49:00.002-05:00

Central Park

2009-06-17T21:17:00.003-05:00

We were in Lewisville helping move Dan's grandmother Grace to a new group home. When she moved to Lewisville I thought it was neat that she move really close to this park because I have always loved this park. There are so many trees all around it, I just really think it is beautiful. We met Mundy, Lynn and Dean to play for a little bit after we cleaned out some stuff. I showed up to the park covered in scarfs and costume jewlery from Nonnie's place. I am sure everyone at the park assumed I was cookoo, but it was fun.

Deano is two

2009-06-17T21:06:00.002-05:00

Our friends Jeff and Mundy's son Dean had his second birthday last month. I was such a beautiful day, we could not have had more perfect weather. The kids all had a lot of fun playing at the park and Jack loves doing anything outside. He especially loves eating birthday cake. We all had a fun time. I used to get together with my girlfriends, the two Lisa's, every week and now it seems like it is mostly just birthdays. We are lucky our birthdays are a little spread out so we do get together almost every other month.

Medieval Times

2009-06-11T07:51:00.003-05:00

This year we went to Medieval times for Mother's Day. Dan had mentioned wanting to go a while back and we were wanting to do something different for Mother's day this year so we decided to experience the dinner and tournement. We had such a great time. Jack was so funny we were worried that he would not want to stay in our laps the entire time and would squirm and act fussy, but he did great. When we first got their he got to look at the horses and he loved that. Once the show started he balled up his hands and covered his eyes for a few minutes. It was so cute, he had never done that before. Then he started to watch and when our side started cheering for our red Knight he shoved his fingers in his ears. He reall started getting into it as it went on. at the end he was throwing his fists up in the air, babbleing to cheer the knights on.

I don't quite fit, but this is still cool

2009-05-22T11:32:00.000-05:00

I was cleaning and moving things to the garage when Jack found this baby papasan and decided he needed to relive some old memories. It buckles, which he is obsessed with all buckles lately. In his highchair, the carseat, the changing table, the stroller, anything that buckles he is a fan of. It has gotten where he does not want to get out of things after I unbuckle him. He fusses so he can stay and play. He has figured out how to snap them together, but then he needs help to unbuckle (THANK GOD FOR SMALL FAVORS).

Texas Bluebonnets

2009-05-22T11:18:00.002-05:00

Frisco Rough Riders with our homegroup

2009-05-22T11:10:00.002-05:00

Play date at the Dallas Zoo

2009-05-22T10:55:00.003-05:00

Joe's birthday

2009-05-22T10:50:00.001-05:00

Easter

2009-05-22T10:48:00.001-05:00

Camping Trip

2009-04-27T20:48:00.003-05:00

We went "camping" a few weeks back with our friends the Nabers. They go to our church and their son is the same age as Jack. Dan and I actually went to high school with Jen. I have gotten to watch AJ a few times during the day so he and Jack have spent a lot of time playing. They have some land up north and invited us to go camping with them. We went out for just a day (not actually camping) because Dan was not interested. He says "I camped for 4 years when I was in the Marines and I have no desire to now". I have tried many times and this is as close as I have gotten. We had a great time. I love campming and I am going to keep working on Dan to get him excited about it too.

Playing at Stonebriar Mall

2009-04-16T17:46:00.000-05:00

Free breakfast at Ikea

2009-04-16T17:25:00.005-05:00

There are so many free or cheap things to do, but Dan refuses to do anything like that with me. Or if he does it ends up costing us much more in the long run. It was great to have Marcy here so I could get a chance to take advantage of some good deals. The trip to Main event was free because I had a coupon for $10 and I let Marcy play whatever $.50 games she wanted. Then we went to Ikea the next day for a free breakfast. We had to wait in line for a while, but it was not bad. Then Jack got to go play in the toy section. We ran into one of his old daycare buddies. It made me realize how long it has been since I left work. Jack and I are so blessed to spend our days together.

Main Event with Marcy and Jack

2009-04-16T16:52:00.005-05:00

Jack had such a great time running around. This is such a great time to go to places like this, Jack really doesn't care if we actually play the game. It saves a lot of money to just follow him running around looking at all of the lights and games. He especially loves to watch the people there. Marcy played some games and got to pick out some prizes, that is her favorite part.

Let's go fly a kite

2009-04-04T16:59:00.000-05:00

Marcy came to visit for a few days. We went to the park behind our house so we could fly a kite. It was neat for a minute but Jack and Marcy were more interested in the swings. Marcy is such a great aunt! Jack is so fascinated with her, he stares at her unlike anyone I have seen. For those of you that have not met Marcy, she is my most special sister. She came to live with us when she was three when her mother passed away. She is mentally handicapped and lives in a group home in Denton. Marcy loves her some baby Jack and Jack definitely loves her. Marcy had an injury from track when she was in Special Olympics and she has a limp. When I was getting the kite ready I asked Jack to follow Marcy. He did and he copied her limp, it was the cutest thing. He wants to be just like his loving aunt Marcy.

"Mommy, I'm stuck"

2009-04-04T16:46:00.001-05:00

Jack is into everything now, I have had to step up my baby proofing lately. Although, I did not realize the stroller was a hazard. I was in the kitchen and Jack was playing quietly in the entryway and he just started screaming all of the sudden. I ran in and heard him crying, but I could not find him. I could tell I was getting warm, but his actual location was a mystery. Finally I saw a flash of color in the bottom of the stroller. The storage under bends down so you can fit more in it and it springs back and Jack got stuck. Luckily the camera was nearby. I am such a mean Mommy, but I could not help it. Poor guy, when I got him out there was a pool of tears and slobber beneath him. A few more seconds of misery was worth it, so I could capture the moment for everyone to see.

The Cheerio Incident

2009-03-26T22:57:00.004-05:00

I decided to make a cheerio necklace with Jack as one of our projects. Lately I have been adding some new activities to our day. Jack and I washed dishes one day. We got out a soapy washing bucket, a plain water bucket and then we dried them. Jack loved the washing and rinsing but the drying and putting away was no fun and with each new dish he got really upset. He has helped me vacuum, sweep and walk the dog. He is not the best at listening to directions, but he is getting better. Well my great idea to make a cheerio necklace did not go so well. He was only interested in eating handfuls of Cheerios from the bowl while I showed him over and over how to make it. Once I was finished making it. He had a blast wearing it and eating from it. This kid is always hungry!!! While he was playing with it Charlie got a hold of it and Jack did not stand a chance. He cried as Charlie ripped it from his hands and took off to devour it. I could not get it away from Charlie for a while. While I was cracking up at Charlie and taking pictures since I thought it was so funny, Jack got a hold of the entire box and dumped them all on to the ground. I took the opportunity to teach Jack again how to sweep. He thought it was hilarious and was laughing hysterically as I chased him around to get the broom back. Lesson didn't go so well. I can't imagine having more kids right now, one hungry boy and a bad dog are enough.

Flat Stanley looses an arm

2009-03-22T12:31:00.003-05:00

A few days later Brooke and Avery came over to play. Jack and Avery got a little rough with Stanley and his arm got ripped off. Again we were able to put him back together again. Stanley had a very rough week and was definitely ready to get back to South Dakota. We had quite an adventure with Stanley. My camera broke in the process of documenting his stay and then I used my phone for a few of the pictures. I really want to thank Stanley for making the trip because without his special visit I probably would not have gone out and purchased a new camera. I finally have a new camera!!!! It has been five years since I got my first digital camera from my parents (and then stole their old camera) and I think it was time. I am so excited about it even though I still don't know how to use it well.

Flat Stanley gets decapitated

2009-03-22T12:28:00.001-05:00

We took Stanley out to play with the neighbors and it didn't go so well for him. Everyone was having fun playing on the slide. Then all at once Jack tried to rip Stanley out of our neighbor Alanna's hands and off with his head. Thankfully, we were able to reattach it and Stanley was good as new.

Flat Stanley

2009-03-22T12:25:00.004-05:00

My cousin's daughter Breckyn sent me a flat Stanley (from a book about a boy who gets flattened by his bulletin board and mails himself all over the world) and we have been taking pictures of him with Jack. The first few pictures are of the front of our neighborhood. Then there are some pictures of Stanley and us at Frisco Square. He came with us to Celebration Covenant church. He was very good and did not get kicked out of Wigglesville for acting up. We stopped by to show Stanley the Frisco YMCA which Daniel's father built. We had a lot of fun showing Stanley around town.

I love playing dress up

2009-03-08T12:11:00.001-05:00

Jack is always coming up to me with a hat in his hand and wants me to put it on him. He is constantly putting on our shoes. Last week right as we were walking out to door for church he got into my lipstick and got it all over. He loves to explore our things and put on our stuff. He is so creative and so much fun to watch.

Laura's Wedding

2009-03-02T10:17:00.002-06:00

Jack's neighborhood buddies

2009-03-02T10:11:00.001-06:00

Superbowl Party

2009-02-20T21:29:00.003-06:00

We went to Cara and Daryll house this year for the Superbowl. We had so much food and there were kids running around everywhere. We had a good time. Jack was being independent going upstairs to play with the big kids. That was one of the first times I let him take off in someone elses house and play (more like the first time he wanted to). He is usually such a Mama's boy. He doesn't like to be too far away from me especially in strange places. Jack taught Ronnie how to go up and down the stairs on his belly. Ronnie wants to stand and is not ready to walk up and down the stairs. After he watched the way Jack does it that was all he wanted to do. He spent well over a half hour going up and down. Ronnie and Jack are close to the same age. It has been fun to watch them grow up together.

Baby Showers for Kelly, Rachel and Joy

2009-02-20T20:24:00.009-06:00

This last month has been packed full with showers, weddings, housewarming and birthday parties. We have really had a great time spending time with all of our old and new friends. The three showers above are all friends that we have met through our church. Joy and Kelly are in my home group and Rachel is in my Bunco and mommy's group. I made diaper cakes for both Kelly and Rachel. Kelly's shower was first and we had a hats and tea themed shower. Kelly is having a third child, a little girl after having two boys. We all wore our Sunday best hats (I had to borrow mine from Bobbie). We were too cute. I won a prize for guessing baby items. Rachel's shower was that same day later in the afternoon. She is having her third boy. I won another prize, I was on a roll. Rachel had her baby boy Liam on Feb.3rd. Al and Joy's shower was the next weekend and it was a couple's shower. They are having their first child and are choosing not to find out the sex of the baby. I could not handle not knowing the sex. We feel so blessed and lucky to have found such a wonderful group of people who we love being with.

Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T01:05:00.000-06:00

Make a Smilebox greeting

2009-02-06T20:52:00.001-06:00

Alanna's 2nd birthday party

2009-02-06T20:43:00.001-06:00

Trip to Houston

2009-01-26T22:13:00.004-06:00

Dan had a trip planned to Houston for work. Jack and I decided to come along for the ride. We got there and Daddy went to work (or at least went out for an amazing lunch at The Oceanaire followed by a little bit of work). Jack and I walked around the Galleria for a little while. We went and ate at Ninfa's. They have good Mexican food. There used to be a Ninfa's in Lewisville but they closed it years ago. I forgot Jack's stroller and I was expecting the mall to have stroller you could rent like they do at Stonebriar, but no. Jack loves to walk, but not so much when he has to hold my hand. When I make him hold my hand he stops in his tracks and lays down, throwing a little baby tantrum. It is lovely, I was thinking this stuff didn't start until later. Our mall experience didn't last too long as he is just getting way too heavy to carry. Then we went to the Hotel, we stayed at the Omni. Our room was beautiful. When Dan got back we went out to dinner at Smith and Wolensky. It is a steakhouse that had a location in Dallas. Dan actually was working there when we were dating. We had our rehearsal dinner there as well as many romantic dinners and special occasions. We have been to the one in Washington D.C., Las Vegas and now Houston. This was the first (and probably last) time with Jack. Jack was the only little one in the restaurant. Our waitress went through training with Daniel when he first started. It was an amazing meal. I was nervous at how Jack would act, but he was good. Jack is a huge fan of the mac and cheese with truffles. Of course I am always a fan of the chocolate cake, it is to die for. We had it as Dan's grooms cake at our wedding. I'll find a picture. The next day we went to the Houston Zoo. It was a lot of fun. Dan has never been to a zoo with Jack. I think the best part was the petting zoo. Jack loved it. I think he wants to get a goat, so if any of y'all are trying to think of the perfect 2ND birthday gift, there you go.

It is so yummy!!! Definetly worth the trip to Houston!

Cassidy's birthday party

2009-01-25T22:26:00.003-06:00

Cassidy's Party

Carl and Susie's Wedding

2009-01-17T22:04:00.005-06:00

Our amazing friends Carl and Susie Edlund FINALLY got married!!! We were so happy to be there to see them dive into this wonderful thing called marriage. I have known Carl and Susie for (Wow, had to add it up) 11 years now. We all started working at Old San Francisco Steak House at the same time. We acted like fools back then, but made it to where we are today to tell the stories, (well, some of them). We have been to so many family gatherings over the years. I feel like Daniel, Jack and I are so blessed to have become part of the Edlund Clan. Their wedding was a blast. I apparently had a few too many glasses of wine and champagene. So much so that I did the worm (or not so much the worm, but like the dead fish). I can't believe I didn't get any pictures of Dan, Jack and I, but we were there.

Found a picture of us, thanks Susie.

Carter's Birthday Party

2009-01-17T21:46:00.004-06:00

Stricklin Christmas

2009-01-17T21:25:00.003-06:00

We traveled back home to Texas on Christmas day so we could suprise everyone. We got in and suprise, they were not home, so we stopped off and ate dinner at IHOP on Christmas. I could not believe it was open in the first place and I was really suprised at how busy it was. Rebekah had to rush Dan, Bobbie, Grace and Miranda back home to meet us and they were in Ft. Worth and not in a hurry, so Rebekah had to come up with some 'stories' to get them home, Thanks Bek. It was short and sweet as we were all tired from traveling and celebrating Christmas.

Christmas 2008

2009-01-14T21:09:00.005-06:00

I can't get away, HELP

2009-01-09T21:44:00.001-06:00

Playing 10,000 SO ADDICTIVE

2009-01-09T21:41:00.001-06:00

Christmas at the Heritage Farm

2009-01-09T21:13:00.004-06:00

Bonding with Uncle Chris, Brianna and Chato

2009-01-09T21:07:00.002-06:00

Happy Birthday Marcy and Everyone

2009-01-04T21:26:00.004-06:00

My sister Marcy turned 35 on the 21st!!!! We got take out Chinese food and made a cake. I brought presents for everyone since we can not always be together for our birthdays.

Putt Putt in Utah

2009-01-04T21:03:00.005-06:00

We went out to play putt putt when we got to Utah. We got there and Jack wet himself for the second time this week. We have never had this problem before. Somehow he is finding a way to shift his diaper or something so he can pee all over himself and usually Mommy. Jack was hilarious, we had so much fun. We definetly could not keep score. It was impossible to keep out balls where they stopped. Jack was immediatly running after each golf ball to grab and throw. He only chunked it in the water once. Any time you are bored and need a good laugh get a toddler and go play putt putt. It is like keep away speed golfing, so funny. Jack also got to ride the carousel for the first time. He loved it, he was bouncing and laughing so much.

Becca's Annual Holiday Party

2009-01-04T20:49:00.006-06:00

This year for Becca's Holiday Party we all brought food, the kids did a book gift exchange and each of the Mommy's brought a craft for the kids to do. It was so neat. Becca even got gifts for all of us to do our own gift exchange. I had the kids make reindeer poop (chocolate covered popcorn). They made ornaments, painted pictures, made cookies and learned how to play the dradle game. It was a great day. Jack had such a fun time playing with all of Jasper's toys.

My daddy's another year older!

2009-01-01T13:55:00.002-06:00

Jacks Christmas Pictures

2008-12-27T00:15:00.003-06:00

We got our family Christmas pictures by the picture people. Jack was about an hour past his normal afternoon nap time. (poor planning on my part) He was not the most cooperative baby. We did get a few cute pictures out of him. Our favorite was the picture with Santa(Mean Mommy and Daddy).

Jack loves applesauce

2008-12-27T00:09:00.002-06:00

My Bipolar baby

2008-12-16T22:56:00.003-06:00

I was feeding Jack and I am always trying to make my baby laugh to entertain myself. I love the sound of his giggles. I was making funny faces at him and he started cracking up in the middle of one of his bad moods. So I grabbed the camera and here it is.

Carl's 32nd birthday

2008-12-15T08:24:00.003-06:00

Decorating for Christmas

2008-12-10T20:39:00.005-06:00

This year was the most difficult year for decorating. I thought it was frustrating in years past trying to find that one burnt out light bulb in the almost new string of lights, or trying to motivate Dan to help me put things up, but this year was crazy. I decided to get started once Jack went down for a nap and Dan somehow sidetracked me into watching an episode of Whale Wars (great show, by the way). So we got a late start, but it ended up taking forever. We got a lot of new decorations this year. We have two trees now and more lights and garland outside. Jack got up from his nap and had a really large new toy to play with. We had moved his toys and there were tons of shiny balls to play with. Just as fast as I could put them on he was right behind me taking them off and the thought it was so funny. He has been grabbing ornaments and he will take off running away from my giggling. He has shattered two ornaments to date and we put the tree up the Saturday after Thanksgiving. I think that is not a bad record, especially since I bought new unbreakable balls.

Thanksgiving

2008-12-05T23:11:00.004-06:00

A day at Daddy's work

2008-12-05T23:02:00.004-06:00

Every day is "take your kid to the office day" at our house, so I was excited at the chance to take Jack to one of Daddy's conventions so he could see Dan's office outside of the home. Dan let us in the back door and we ran around for a few minutes by Dan's booth. We left right before they broke out the Prime Rib(darn).

Daniel has not written on the blog since the day Jack was born so I am stealing this from an email he sent to one of his buddies.

" Jack is doing great, he is 14 months old and everyday he is learning something new. He is walking everywhere like a little man and becoming his own little person, Kara stays home with him and I work out of the house so we are fortunate and get to spend all day with him. Savannah has numerous parks and walking trails, Kara and I built in front of a smaller park with swings and a picnic pavilion, 4-5 times a week we take Jack to that park and let him play.

I just graduated from college with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from the University of Phoenix, for the past 2.5 years I had been taking night classes from 6PM-10PM once a week knock it out. Since I am so used to going to class once a week and handling a college workload my schedule will allow me to continue my studies, so there are 4 Masters Programs that are very attractive at the moment. My first choice is the PMBA program at SMU which is the most prestigious “#9 in the US”; I have spoken with the admissions counselor for the program and will get the final word once I take my GMAT in early December. My second choice is the Masters of Science in management program at SMU, which is much shorter “10 months instead of 27” and it starts next fall. Number three is the PMBA from UT which is taught at the Anatole Hotel, classes are 2 days Friday afternoon and Saturday mornings. Last but not least is UNT and their PMBA program; they require a GPA of 3.0 for regular admission and a 2.9 for admission on academic probation. Since my GPA is higher than a 3.0 acceptance into any one of these programs is either likely or guaranteed with UNT, with that said the financial side of the whole process has to be weighed, SMU is very expensive and so is the PMBA with UT. I‘m visiting info sessions on these programs and have spoke to their respective admissions departments already so I’m looking forward to the challenges next fall holds, will I be driving to University Park, Denton or the Anatole?"

Wiggly Playcenter

2008-11-26T11:44:00.002-06:00

Jack wand I went out to meet his buddies Carter and Dean at the Wiggly play center. We got there and I set Jack down and he took off. He has become a clingy baby when we are someplace unfamiliar, so I was a little surprised to see him gain some independence. He had such a good time playing. I actually stayed after they left and Jack and I got to go in the "big boy" side and he climbed up the huge bouncy house and we went down the giant slide.

The Fall Festival at Celebration Covenant Church

2008-11-12T00:31:00.008-06:00

The Fall Festival at our church was a really good time. Our home group had a booth set up for the kids to come and win some candy. Spiderman is our homegroup leader Jacob. Jack had such a blast eating two suckers and part of a twizzler. He loved the baskets full of candy. I was trying to teach him how to pick out only the chocolate candy, but he was not picky at all. He wanted as much as he could carry. At most times throughout the night he had candy in his right hand, candy in his left and candy in his mouth. The Pointer family came out to celebrate and I think the boys had a good time. Jack got a couple of ballons and he is a huge fan of them. After the sugar rush he was walking through the crowds and hitting stragers, so that was our cue to leave.

The King Tut Exhibit

2008-11-12T00:12:00.003-06:00

A few weeks ago we decided to go to the State Fair of Texas and on our way downtown it started raining. We had plans for the rest of the week, so that was the only time we could go and that was the last week it was going on. We decided to make the best of our trip downtown and go to the Dallas Museum of Art to see the King Tut Exhibit. It was an interesting experience to try and make it work with a 13 month old who only wanted to walk around and babble as loud as he could. We made it through the exhibit in record time. Once you start walking through there is no way out except to go to the end, no bathroom breaks, no hidden feeding spots. Dan and I enjoyed it, but we really enjoyed the kids play room in the DMA. They had all kinds of books and toys for Jack to play with. It was a weekday, so Dan had to work. We had the room to ourselves so he took two calls sitting on the large foam blocks with Jack and myself having the best time playing. I was really dissapointed about not going to the state fair but it turned out to be such a wonderful day.

Savannah's Fall Festival

2008-11-12T00:07:00.002-06:00

Jack's buddies Aden and Zoe

2008-11-07T15:38:00.002-06:00

I watched my neighbor's kids for a few weeks after she started a new job. We took Zoe to and from her Part time day care. I got to load everybody, unload all three to drop off Zoe, then load the two boys back into their car seats then unload once we got back home and then do it all over again a few hours later. It made me really grateful to only have Jack for right now. I can't imagine how big families do it with all the activities children are involved in nowadays. Jack, Aden and Zoe had a great time playing together. Aden and Zoe loved the change of scenery, all new toys to play with.

Jack's first hair cut

2008-11-07T15:23:00.004-06:00

Jack got his first hair cut on Sept. 27, 2008. We took him to Toy's R Us and they have a place there called Cool Cuts. Jack got to see a Baby Einstein video for the first time. I try not to let him watch any TV, but this was a good exception. He did pretty good until she started cutting more toward the front. We made it through the whole hair cut and he looks like such a little man now. It has taken me so long to update the blog he is almost ready for another hair cut.

We loved being outside

2008-10-23T21:13:00.003-05:00

We spent a lot of time outside while we were in Utah. We ate dinner outside many times, we played our dice game, we planted shrubs and flowers, we went on walks almost everyday and we watched Jack run around exploring the rest of the time.

Playing at Grandma and Grandpa's

2008-10-23T21:07:00.003-05:00

Jack had such a great time at his grandparents. There is so much to explore and new things to get into. I had brought a lot of toys that he played with on the road trip, but once he got to my parents house he had so many bowls, spoons, plants, boxes, piles of newspaper and bags of nuts to play with that he was very busy.

The Hogle Zoo

2008-10-23T20:54:00.005-05:00

Utah's Fogo de Chao

2008-10-23T20:51:00.002-05:00

There is a brazilian steakhouse near my parents house that is great. Jack really enjoyed all of the different meats. He loved the pineapple.

Visit to Grandma's work

2008-10-23T20:45:00.002-05:00

All of Grandma's co-workers get to hear so much about Jack, so we had to stop by when we were in town and show off how much he has grown since he visited last. They are in a new office building and we got to celebrate the September birthdays at the work potluck. We brought Great-Grandma's famous potato salad. It was a hit.

I LOVE CORN!

2008-10-23T20:41:00.002-05:00

We have found that Jack is a huge fan of corn on the cob. He eats the whole thing until there is no more corn and then sucks on the cob to make sure he did not miss anything.

My little grapemonster

2008-10-19T20:14:00.004-05:00

One of my favorite things about Utah is everything outside. I love the mountains, the trees, the flowers, all of the landscaping in general. I love that you can grow more than just pecan trees like here in Texas. There is every sort of fruit you can think of. My parents have a peach tree, an apple tree, a raspberry bush, red and white grapes, everything was so sweet and tasty. Jack loved the peaches and the grapes. He was constantly grabbing new pieces of fruit and taking a big bite out of it. We had him making grape juice and he ate just about everything he could get his hands on. We had been picking the seeds out and giving him the grapes, but he got ahold of a big bunch of grapes and just went to town seeds, stems and all. It just added some extra fiber to his diet. We figured out a way to make some juice without him and it was delicious.

Last truck stop

2008-10-16T22:20:00.002-05:00

Maybe because it has been a month since the trip I don't remember it being so bad. Jack was such a trooper. He got upset here and there but I am sure it could have been much worse. I had so many toys I would hand him one to play with and that would entertain him for a bit and then he would throw it and I would get him another. We sang lots of songs, read some books and said a few prayers and finally made it to Utah.

Kearney, Nebraska

2008-10-16T22:10:00.002-05:00

We were finally on the last leg of our trip and we stopped in Nebraska to visit Al and Val Erickson (grandma's brother) Valerie made us a wonderful lunch and then Jack got to explore the apple harvest. I got to drive Valerie's new toy, her convertable. It was a beautiful day. They sent us on the road with a very thoughtful road trip goodie bag. Thank you both so much for being so caring.

Visit to Sioux Falls, SD to see Grandpa's Family

2008-10-16T22:02:00.003-05:00

Next on our trip was a visit to Grnadpa's side of the family. We stayed with my cousin Heather. Breckyn got plenty of bonding time with her new 2nd cousin. She immediatly loved Jack and was so good at taking care of him. She really enjoyed picking him up and helping him play with his cars.

Visiting Great Grandma Eleanor In South Dakota

2008-10-16T21:50:00.005-05:00

We got to Brandon, SD to visit Jack's Great Grandmother Eleanor. Jack had a great time playing with all of her things. He loved Kermit's rain gauge (which he broke). He is so interested in how things work, he is our little engineer. We went out to dinner at the Pizza Ranch. We got to see Arny and Kay (Grandma's brother) and Shelly and John (Arny's kids). Jack loved the arcade room, so many lights and games to look at. This is such a great age, Jack can be entertained by just looking at the games and we don't have to spend any money. The next day my Great Aunt Arlene made myself and Jack breakfast. It was so sweet, I felt like a little girl at a fancy tea party. It has probably been a long time since she has entertained, but she made us such an elegant breakfast. We went to Grandpa Kermit's grave site. I am sad for my mother and especially for my Grandmother. I can't imagine losing Dan and we have only been married for 3 years. They were married for over sixty years. We are all blessed to have been in the presence of the wonderful man that my grandfather was. He was such a caring, faithful, and loving husband, father, grandfather and a great-grandfather to Jack.