Archive for November, 2009

Wednesday, November 25th, 2009

monkey

so, this year jackson was a monkey for halloween. now, i know what you’re thinking. being a monkey has never really been too difficult for jackson. that is true. we just added the costume, along with a real banana for extra effect. surprisingly enough, he didn’t even try to eat it.

i never would have thought he would stay in that costume, but he actually seemed quite comfortable in it. our first stop was a halloween party for some of his friends. the party was full of toys, candy, and girls, all of which jackson seems to enjoy. it was a great time, and i think the parents were having just as much fun as the kids.

next, we hit up cracker barrel with my parents and sister. this is the second year in a row that we have eaten there on halloween, and it feels like another tradition is forming. after we ate, my mom and dad gave jackson a jack-o’-lantern orange pale filled with halloween goodies. of all the treats stuffed in that pale, he was particularly fond of the goldfish graham crackers and a stuffed black spider that has since been named “bug”. upon receiving these little surprises, his energy level escalated. needless to say, the people eating inside the restaurant found themselves enjoying some free entertainment. you know, it’s not everyday that you can see a dancing monkey with his pet spider.

we rounded out the evening by visiting the annual trunk or treat event at our church. due to rain, it had been moved inside, which made for an even rowdier environment. jackson ran from station to station, using pure cuteness as a ploy for more candy. it worked. his little pale was overflowing when we left, and i found myself stuffing even more candy in my pockets. for jackson of course.

jackson was so exhausted from his big halloween that once we got home, he crashed. i am not ashamed to say that as soon as his little head hit the mattress, we were peeling back candy wrappers. yes, we ate our child’s candy. we feel like his teeth are more important than ours. oh, and there is the fact that one m&m is enough to make jackson do somersaults off the wall. trust me, it was definitely best for us to eat that candy. oh how i love halloween.

Monday, November 16th, 2009

pumpkin patch

last year, around the time of Halloween, jackson visited a pumpkin patch for the very first time. in fact, i believe it was my very first time as well. kelly suggested taking fall pictures with the pumpkins, and while it was a totally new concept to me, off we went. little did i know that it would become an annual family tradition.

this year, we went back to the same pumpkin patch once again. as soon as jackson caught a glimpse of the vast sea of orange, he was raring to go. now that he is mobile, it made choosing a pumpkin much easier. he would run through the staggered rows inspecting each of them with a quick glance and a brush of the hand. only the ones that earned his stamp of approval could stop him in his tracks. he would then point and say, “dis”, as if to let us know he had made his decision with confidence. aside from shape and size, there was another qualification that would make a pumpkin worthy of jackson’s interest. it had to have a bug on it. and believe me, he found the ones with bugs. they were his absolute favorites. upon finding one of these rare gems, he would shout, “bug, bug”, and then proceed to swat at it with the ever-faithful stick that he carried in his hand. he can be a little intense.

when he wasn’t running through the pumpkin patch, he was riding in a radio flyer wagon. he enjoyed this for all of about two minutes, and then he was ready to get both feet back on the ground. by that time, he had made his final decisions, and we knew which pumpkins would be coming home with us. his valiant efforts earned him not one, but two, official pumpkin patch stickers that he wore with pride. until he was back in his car seat of course.

so, yet another fall tradition has come and gone, and it was an absolute blast. who knew that picking out pumpkins could be so much fun? you can see for yourselves by checking out the many photos from our pumpkin adventure.

Wednesday, November 11th, 2009

vacation

at the end of each summer, we take a family vacation to pigeon forge, tennessee. it is usually the only extended vacation that we take all year, and it always includes my parents, my sister, and her husband. we stay in a cozy cabin on the side of a mountain, which easily makes it the most relaxing part of the year for us. and of course, we always come back with some quality memories, which now tend to include jackson and his antics.

this year, since jackson was a little older, there was much more that he could enjoy. for instance, he was able to walk down the strip in pigeon forge and look at all the classic cars entered in the car show. he was able to take advantage of the rides at some of the amusement parks, including a very special train ride with daddy. he was able to stick his feet in the jacuzzi, with a little help of course. he was even able to sit on santa’s lap while mommy shopped for Christmas ornaments. the entire trip was quite an experience for our little man.

but some of the best moments were spent on the front porch of the cabin. if jackson wasn’t chasing bugs, he was swinging in the hammock, rocking in the rocking chair, or trying to stick his finger in the electrical outlets. and then there was the night he fell. face first. really hard. he was running around the porch and his feet got tangled underneath him. we saw it happen right in front of us, but we couldn’t react quick enough to catch him. he busted his lip and sliced the inside of his mouth. it was not pretty. but with a little comforting, ice packs, and chap stick, we were back in business. in case you’re wondering, the chap stick was purely for entertainment. jackson ate half of it.

on a lighter note, there was another evening that sticks out in my mind during our trip. we were all dining at a very nice restaurant in downtown gatlinburg. to set the scene, jackson was at the head of the table (of course), and kelly and i were seated on either side of him. it was an upscale place in which you desperately want your child to be on their best behavior. keep in mind that jackson is in his prime of learning how to talk, and he has picked up some rather amusing phrases. part of my meal included some warm, baked apples covered in cinnamon and glazed with brown sugar. absolutely delicious. except i didn’t really get to enjoy them. jackson, instead, decided that he wanted my apples. so, naturally, i gave them to him. every last one of them. and upon discovering that the bowl was empty, jackson enthusiastically slammed down his fork, looked at me with eyes of frustration, and shouted loudly, “DANG IT!”. kelly quickly covered his mouth as i scanned the restaurant for onlookers and offered my apologies. it was a tad shocking, but quite funny at the same time. and in fact, most of the people around us were snickering. all i can say is that the kid has passion.

so, looking back, it was such a great vacation. it is sad to see it go, but there is always next year. you know, when we will have TWO kids. ah, the adventures continue.

Monday, November 9th, 2009

Stellan

please remember to pray for Stellan. i have his blog button to the right of our site if you would like to click on it for more updates. he has had a long day of it and his heart ablation has not even been started yet. please pray for Dr. A to have steady hands as he attempts to ablate a certain extra pathway in Stellan’s heart. please pray for his mother, MckMama, to stay strong and to be faithful. this has not been an easy week for anyone, especially sweet Stellan. sweet Jesus, hold them near.