Joshua Tree Trip

This past weekend, we headed out to Joshua tree for about two days. It was a short trip, but a nice get-away. Joshua Tree always proves to be striking, no matter what time of year. Jackson had a lot of fun climbing rocks, and attempting to eat them as well! Here are some of the photos...enjoy!Jackson enjoys a meal by sunset in Joshua Tree.

The guys climbing Skull Rock. It started with a few (Scott and Troy)...Then they all came, like little ants! (David, Troy, Scott, Michael, and Tim)
Blue-eyed Boy

Me and the ketchup had an incident......but I showed it who's boss, and it ended up on my yummy Hebrew National hotdog (with relish and grilled onions...mmmmm!)
Troy, Jackson, and I in the morning shadows.
Jackson and I
Jackson and his daddy!
A family photo on the rocks...aren't the rocks marvelous???
Jackson hiking up a big, flat rock.
Jackson got to help his daddy pump up the wheels on his stroller!

Jackson played with a football for the first time!
Uncle David taking photos of us!
Jackson hanging out with his buddy Brendan (and Rachel).

Jackson's new favorite toy...

...is Uncle David's golf putter. I am borrowing it until I get some pepper spray to walk with. Jackson loves to hold it a push it on the floor. Go figure. Unlike the spatula, though, it isn't travel size. I'm not going to let him take it to the grocery store!

Big Boy Spoon

Jackson ate with a spoon by himself for the first time last week. It was a little messy, but he did it! He even learned how to scoop yogurt out of a cup with his spoon!

Aquarium!

A couple Saturdays ago, Jenni and I took Jackson to the Aquarium for the first time. It was our first time as well. He enjoyed it and especially enjoyed the sting rays and sharks. I can't wait to bring him again when he is a bit older and more interactive. After the aquarium, we went to Jenni's house and had pizza. I saw Toya, who I haven't seen in a very long time. It was great to get some rare sister/girl time in!
Jackson and I (he is clapping for the fish!).
Jenni shows Jackson the sting rays.
Jackson with the sea lions

Don't Worry...

...I haven't fallen off the face of the earth for over a week. I will blog about Jackson soon. I just have been extremely busy! So, when things slow down a bit, I will post some photos and updates of Jackson. (You know, just in case some of you were wondering!)

Who does this look like?

Sleepy little guy...

A Fall Favorite: Oak Glen

Fall is my favorite season. I love the smell of apple crisp and pumpkin bread baking, and wassail brewing. I love the cool wind that blows on occasion. I love the falling leaves. A place that brings all these special things together is Oak Glen. Troy and I were able to take Jackson last week to experience Oak Glen for the first time. David, Robyn, Scott and Rachel, and their little boy Brendan joined us as well. Jackson loved it (of course---it is outdoors!). He got the whole experience, too. He ate pea soup and a grilled cheese sandwich at Law's Diner. He walked through a pumpkin patch and picked out his own pumpkin, and he even got to feel the very cool, fall breeze (about 50 degrees to be exact!). We all had a wonderful time! Perhaps Jackson will love Autumn as much as Troy and I do!

No More Frosted Animal Cookies?!?

Troy called me with sad news this morning. Mother's Cookies Company shut down abruptly last week. With the rising costs of materials, and the frozen financial market, it appears they couldn't borrow money to stay in business. This is very sad news! Mother's Cookies has been in business since 1914. That is 94 years! This means the frosted animal cookies that I so fondly remember as a favorite childhood treat are no more! The scrumptious cookie mix with chocolate chip cookies, sugar cookies, fudge sandwich cookies, and animal cookies is no more! Well, I don't know about you, but I am going to the store today and buying a couple bags if they are still available. Jackson needs to know the sweet goodness of a frosted animal cookie!

*To read more on this story, CLICK HERE.

A question you never ask a woman...

...is "are you pregnant?" I had a woman ask me just that today. Then, she dug herself even deeper and said, "Oh, well, you must have just had your baby, then, right?" I replied to her (almost sarcastically...) "Yeah, like 11 months ago." Then, just when I thought she couldn't put her foot further into her mouth, she said, "Oh, well, you must not have gotten rid of your baby fat yet." WHAT?!?! Who says that kind of thing to someone they don't even know??? I wanted to ask her, "Are you all there?" but, unlike her, I can keep my mouth shut. I just replied with a smile, "Well, I have lost almost 20 lbs since May...I would say that is a start!" All the while, in my mind I was making up words like the father in The Christmas Story. Sigh.

Ready to Run!

Here is some footage I took on my cell phone so you all could see Jackson walk. Sorry about the quality! I would use our video camera, but I have no idea how to upload that footage!

Warning: The sound is weird. I recommend watching it without the sound.

Jackson is 11 Months!!!

11 months ago today, I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. He has been such a joy in my life, and after reading what has been going on with Stacy, I am even more thankful that God has blessed Troy and I with Jackson for 11 months. He started to consistently walk just yesterday. He took his "first steps" weeks ago, but couldn't get the courage to walk any more than those steps. Yesterday Jackson found that courage and is walking all the time, and, boy, is he thrilled with himself! It is funny how much can change in a day! This last week, Jackson's vocabulary has widened. He has started to say "wow," "moon," "book," and will even sing "row, row, row," along with Troy and I if with sing "Row, Row, Row Your Boat." He is a clever kid!Just last Friday, I took Jackson's pacifier away from him. I finally decided it was time. In hindsight, I wish I would have done it a while ago. He had a rough few days, but has become used to the fact that he doesn't need to have the pacifier to go to sleep. Although, as pictured above, Jackson still finds things to put in his mouth in place of his pacifer!

Jackson is walking! (and while chewing on his spatula....how coordiated!)
Handsome-almost-one-year-old-boy!

Continue Praying....

Please continue to pray for Stacy and Spencer. Their little Isaac was born this morning, and passed away after spending 16 minutes with his mommy and daddy. I am sure their hearts are heavy with grief. Please pray that Christ continues to embrace them with comfort.

Again, if you haven't read the whole story, you can go to He Will Carry Me.

Prayers for Stacy, Isaac, and Spencer

Stacy, Isaac, and Spencer need our prayers. As Robyn said in her post, their lives are going to change tomorrow, and they definitely, definitely need our prayers. May the Lord comfort them in their time of need and sorrow, and may He lift their heavy hearts.

Please read He Will Carry Me for the whole story. Believe me, it is worth it to take a minute to read about them and to take a minute more to pray for them.

A much needed haircut!

After six months, I finally got a haircut. My hair was sooo long and stringy!Before my cut (if you look close enough, you can see the straw-like texture of my hair)...
...and after. I was brave and cut six or seven inches off. What can I say? It is a load off my shoulders! Literally!

By the way, this is my sixth post for today. I had a lot to update you all on! I think this may be a record!

Yea for Chick-fil-a!

Jackson and I joined some friends at Chick-fil-a, and for the first time, he got the whole Chick-fil-a experience, minus the guy in the cow suit! He had a kid's meal and played on the playground. They had a great baby playground for him and he had a ball! I knew he would like the whole experience...how couldn't he...he is the offspring of Troy!

Jackson's Favorite Toy

For the past week, Jackson's favorite toy has been a rubber spatula. He takes it everywhere...on walks, to the store, to get the mail. And when he takes it places, he never lets go of it. Its a good thing I have extra!

Jackson's Front Teeth...

...and double chin. Its too bad its only cute on babies!If you look closely at these photos, you can actually see three teeth...two on top and one on the bottom. Another tooth just popped up on the bottom today (that is his forth tooth). Between his front teeth, he has a gap...looks like he got that from several family members!

Jackson's First Haircut!

On Monday night, I mustered up the courage to cut Jackson's hair. I don't know how many "So, when are you going to cut his hair...its getting long," comments I heard before cutting Jackson's hair. When I announced that I was going to cut it, so many people didn't want me to cut it! Hmm. Well, I cut it anyways because I wanted it all to be the same length and his hair was starting to hang over his ears. So, without further ado, here are the pictures...Before.We started out with a biter biscuit for Jackson and ended up with...a caramel apple sucker. It was the only thing we had around that would keep him still. Don't worry folks...he only got to suck on it for a few minutes while I did the finishing touches on his hair.This is the after picture. I'm not sure if you can tell the difference in this picture. I sure can, though! He looks like a little boy now...not a baby!