Happy Birthday Jackson!

Jackson is 3!! I can't believe it. We are so lucky to have him in our family. He is getting over the tantrum phase (for the most part) and is learning to love his sister. They are beginning to be good playmates, hug each other often, and even share! This is a big accomplishment and makes me happy to see! His nursery leaders tell us often what a joy Jackson is, how polite and helpful he is in the nursery....and we know! We tell him all the time just how special he is!He is learning fast. Brian is teaching him the mountain names of the ones that surround our valley...he has cascade down really well! His letters are coming along great, he recognized the big letter 'M' on the McDonald's sign this week, and then asked, "Where's the D?"

This year, he was SO excited about his birthday. He knew something special was coming up just for him. Because he was so excited, I made a paper chain-link countdown. He loved tearing off a paper chain each morning and counting how many days were left. I don't know how he learned about birthday parties and what's included, but he wanted an ice cream cake, balloons, and a pinata. So that's what we did! We looked at cake pictures online and he loved one with a bulldozer, so we modified it a bit and ended up with this fun ice cream cake with a bulldozer topper.

We had a dump-truck pinata (he got the pinata idea out of a skippyjon jones book we read at bedtime), and of course...lots of balloons! He was a happy boy!

He wasn't anticipating gifts from people, he thought everyone was coming over to look at his bulldozer cake, so it was a surprise for him to be able to open presents just for him. He was so excited and couldn't decide what to play with first. He'd spend a few minutes playing with his new car wash, then move to the sit and spin, then hit a few balls on the baseball stand, work on his name puzzle, blow bubbles, and then do it all again (his sprinkler toy will have to wait until it gets warmer).

Thank you to all who came and shared the celebration with us!

Feeding Ducks

We went to the park yesterday to watch the ducks. It was a great sunny day. I didn't bring any bread this time because I thought they'd be fed full by the time we got there. But it turned out they were hungry. Jackson decided to collect pieces of mulch and rocks to try and feed them with. He soon found out the ducks were not interested in his "food" and complained by saying, "They're not eating it mom!" I told him they were smart ducks.
I noticed some pieces of dried crusty bread lying on the ground and I gave them to Jackson, and the ducks loved it. So we spent some time scavenging for food people dropped around the pond. A man noticed what we were doing and shared some pieces of bread with us and it made Jackson's day.

Zoey saying "Cheese!" She was running a fever and not feeling well in this picture, but she was hanging in there because of the exciting ducks. She has been sick quite a bit lately, I feel so bad for her. Her weak immune system picks up everything. She has been on an antibiotic for an earache, and while medicated, picked up a viral infection. Argh!
It's spring around the pond! We found two nests, and some ducks that were squatting amid the rocks that I'm sure were sitting on eggs. We'll come back in a few weeks to see the babies swimming....they are always fun to feed!

Easter

Easter was a bit crazy this year, getting mixed in with conference and all. We had the Gray side of the family all in town, and it was fun to see everyone, and the cousins play well together. We had an Easter egg hunt on Saturday and a nice dinner on Sunday, trying to catch pieces of conference in between and around activities and cousins playing together. I wish I had more pictures of our events to share, but this was what I was able to snap amid the chaos. I liked the Easter Conference messages, they really helped make the weekend special.... but I hope Easter and conference don't collide again for a while!

New Baby!

My last update, I promise! But I've saved the best for last. Christina had her baby early Tuesday morning. He is soooo cute! We took the kids to visit them at the hospital and they were in love with their new cousin right away( Zoey was squeeling with excitement, but she's not in the picture because she found some snacks and was eating....so Zoey). Another boy Cousin for Jackson, woo hooo!

They named him Gavin Paul Homolik. He was 7 lbs and 19 inches. Seventh Grandchild for Elmo and Judy! How exciting, the family is growing. It made me want to pass over months 4-9 and walk home with a baby in hand, wouldn't that be nice! ha ha.

We had another ultra sound and the baby has doubled in size! They even moved up my due date 4 days! I'm betting it's a boy....

Outside at Last!

When we start to get weather in the 50's we think it's warm enough to go play outside! And it is! After spending 4 long cold months indoors, the kids are aching to run around outside. We've been playing outside as much as possible. It just makes everyone happy!

On Saturday, we worked in the yard...starting our spring cleaning! Jackson wanted to dig holes while Zoey was content to watch (or walk on the plants just starting to peek through). This rain gutter was her favorite seat in the house! Out of the mud, yet right in the middle of it!

Still waiting for buds and blossoms, green grass and more sunshine! Only weeks away....

Weekend Getaway

Brian had the chance to take a weekend golf getaway in Hawaii with his friend Bob. I had told him a long time ago he could go, I just didn't think it would land right in the middle of my peak of morning sickness. Luckily, I felt just fine while he was away. I think I was being blessed!

Beautiful scenery, lovely weather and sun....just golfing and relaxing! ahhh, the life...so jealous! He owes me!

Sunday Best

I have to post a few pictures of the kids...they always look so good dressed up for church.

If only Zoey would leave her hairbow alone! It didn't even make it to church and I haven't found it since!

Baby #3!

Can you believe it?!?! Brian and I are expecting our third this year! I am roughly 10 weeks along. The due date is around October 4th. Some days I feel great, and other days I have a hard time functioning at all.

I took Zoey to the Doctor this morning because she had a really high fever that we couldn't kick. Turns out she has another earache...her second in two months. Just so happens that her Pediatrician is also my OB, so he did a voluntary ultrasounds for me while I was there. It was neat. I got to see the heartbeat, head (on the left of the ultrasound), hands and feet. A whopping 7 cm long! I am almost certain this time it will be a boy! By the way, we are not finding out the sex until the baby is born. I want it to be a surprise, since we have one of each already.

I was excited to see it alive and "kicking", now I know that this morning sickness isn't all for nothing and it gives me another boost to make it through this rough first trimester. I always forget what it's like, and I guess that's a good thing, otherwise we wouldn't be having our third! ha ha.

It's raining, it's snowing....

It's nearly March and I'm SO ready for spring. I know it won't REALLY come for another couple of months, but this eager anticipation for winter to be over, happens to me every year! February is just so hard to get through sometimes! I have been "sprucing" up our house with "springtime gladness" and filling it with color. It's amazing how little things like this can cheer me up! Can you believe Easter is only a month away? It seems like we just celebrated Christmas.

A few Fun Updates

Zoey is as cute as ever. She has had a rough winter with a few bugs, and most recently an earache, but she is such a cutie! She and Jackson are interacting more and having fun playing together (most of the time). It's fun to hear them make each other laugh (it seems to be Jackson's goal to act goofy enough to make Zoey laugh). She is talking constantly in conversations that she thinks we should understand, but don't. Yesterday she had her first real sentence. She showed Brian a ball and he asked, "what is that? " and she said perfectly clear, "It's a ball!" We were amazed. She has only used single word phrases up until that point, so we were shocked and amazed! I wish I had it on film....

Jackson is learning how to use the toilet. He does really well with going "#2", but still is working on recognizing when he needs to "tinkle" and make it to the toilet in time. It is causing a lot of laundry for me! He doesn't want any help and will, without doubt, tell me to 'go away' so he can have his privacy. I tried to wipe him after a tinkle the other day and he surprised me by saying this: "Mom! I don't wipe my pee pee, I shake it!" Ha ha! Where does he LEARN that!

He is learning the alphabet, individual letters and the sounds they make. Each day we cover a new letter and collect items that start with that letter and keep them in a box, at the end of the day we show Brian what we collected and review the letter and sound. He is getting pretty good! As we are around town and he points something out like car...I'll say "CAR starts with the letter...." and he'll tell me. He's not always right, but he's getting there. I'm a proud mommy of my growing boy!

Yesterday he wanted to play outside and I told him he could if he put his shoes on. So I was taking care of Zoey and got distracted and looked outside and saw he was wearing MY shoes! He couldn't find his, or was too impatient to go look for him and my shoes were available! He could barely walk in the things it was sooo funny! If I turn my back on him, he is getting himself hurt. Last week he ripped of his big toenail catching it on the bottom of a door, and a few days later he cut himself with a knife trying to get himself a piece of cheese. I got to keep an eye on that boy!

Lastly....last night we woke up to some clanking noise, and at first I thought it was just raining hard or hailing, but then soon realized what it was! Deer hooves clanking against our wrought iron fence- again! We called the police and within a few minutes Brian and two police officers were working hard at freeing the deer from between the bars. It was quite an effort. I never knew what sound a deer made, but I never imagined it would sound like what we heard. It's hard to describe, but if I were a little kid and heard that noise int eh night, I might think it was a monster, and it was LOUD! It woke up the dogs withing a few blocks, and they went wild! All this commotion woke up some neighbors and we soon saw lights start to come on in a few houses. The deer was really fighting, and wouldn't be able to keep up for long, so the police said- ruin the fence or shoot it. So we ruined the fence! The deer bounced away free! We'll have to replace a bar in our fence though.

So that's our household these days. Nothing too dramaticm but we're thankful for that!