Sarah Rachel's Stories

2009-04-04T18:27:00.000-07:00

Hi guys! This will be my last post on this blog. If you want to follow my blog, I will be continuing it: here http://jjjourney.blogspot.com/
Keeping up two blogs has become too much work and I want to make sure that I'm documenting Baby Chase's (due next MONTH!) first couple years as well as I did Jackson's. So thank you to all my blogging friends for following my very inconsistent blog and come read up on us at The Janney's Journey please!

Halloween 2008

2008-11-03T16:26:00.000-08:00

Halloween 2008 began with Jackson and I heading off to preschool where we did a costume parade for all the parents and grandparents who wanted to come. Jackson thought this was a very weird concept and mostly just seemed confused.
Here we are in my classroom before school started:

From October stuff

We were tigers of course.

From October stuff

Here he is with his on again/off again girlfriend, Bella. Some days they push each other and fight. Other days they hold hands and hug a lot. Sometimes Jackson won't go into his classroom with out Bella. Sounds like a typical relationship, I guess.

From October stuff

Here they are during the parade in full costume and looking very serious.

From October stuff

Here is Jackson's adorable class and his preschool teachers!

From October stuff

And a bit of a close-up of my favorite tiger!
That night we went to Floyd to spend Halloween with Alan's Granny. She has close to 300 trick or treaters (not even exaggerating a little bit- it's insane!) and she needed some help. Alan's mom, Debbie came to help too. We took Jackson out around the neighborhood and he LOVED it! He kept yelling "More houses! More Candies! Trick or Treat!" to Alan and I. He didn't mind going back to Granny's though because he loved opening the door and putting candy in the kids' bags.

More October!

2008-11-03T15:55:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I haven't been blogging consistently but you have to admit that once a month is better than every 3 or 4 months, right!? Right! October has been a busy month! It's also been a little bit uncomfortable since I found out I'm due May 25th with baby #2 (YAY!!!!) and morning sickness has been kicking my butt. So I'll use that as my excuse for a complete lack of picture taking!
One fun thing that happened in October was a weekend away for Alan and I. My mom and dad (and Liz and Becky) came and stayed with Jackson for the weekend and Alan and I were able to sleep in and relax with one another while in Richmond for my friend Bekah's wedding. Bekah is one of my favorite friends who I did Summer Staff with at a Young Life camp called Rockbridge back in 2001. She read scripture at our wedding and has taken part in some very fun reunions over the last 7 years with our other Summer Staff friends, Karen and Katie. Karen wasn't able to make the wedding which was sad. But Katie and I went and dragged along our husbands who hadn't ever met. We determined that they were meant to be bff like she and I are. We think it worked, but we're not 100%. :)

From October stuff

Beautiful Bekah and Garrett!

From October stuff

My Darling Katie!

From October stuff

My even MORE Darling husband (sorry, Katie!)!

From October stuff

Group shot (taken by Naomi Ruth Sutton)!

From October stuff

The three of us girls (taken by Naomi Ruth Sutton).

From October stuff

My wonderful parents who not only took great care of Jackson that weekend but they also completely made over our front and back yards which now look so beautiful!

From October stuff

Adorable Liz and Jackson. He loves his aunties.

Oktoberfest

2008-10-01T19:53:00.000-07:00

Jackson and I went to stay with my parents for a long weekend and it was AWESOME! Perfect weather and wonderful family time (like always)! We made it in time for Montclair's annual Oktoberfest which is a big all day festival with beer, bratwurst, dancing, music, and fun things for kids all day down at Dolphin Beach. Jackson was starting to feel sick that day (the beginning of a yucky viral infection which resulted in a double ear infection- Booo!!) so he wasn't his usual enthusiastic self but he still had some fun moments!
Here he is on the toddler obstacle course and moon bounce:

From summer 08

He really liked that until this punk kid pushed him over and made him cry. I showed the punk kid though- I pinched him when his mom wasn't looking. Okay, not really. But I totally wanted to.
And THIS was the most entertaining part for mom and I- Jackson's first pony ride. He couldn't stay in the middle of the saddle and the very frustrated cowboy cut his ride in half and informed me that Jackson has "balance problems":

From summer 08

And here is Jackson snuggling with his Gigi while Mom and I watched some very cute old people dancing German dances!

From summer 08

My Baby is Growing up!!

2008-10-01T19:21:00.001-07:00

I had been looking into preschools for Jackson this fall and found a cute, Christian one that I really liked! They were looking for a teacher and I decided to put my elementary education degree to good use! I get to teach across the hallway from Jackson in one of the older classes and I peek in on him from time to time and usually see him smiling and playing!

From summer 08

To say that Jackson loves preschool would be a tremendous understatement. He walks around the house on the days we don't go saying "church school, PLEASE Mama!!" He tells me stories about his friends at school. He gets to finger paint, play on the playground, reads books, learns songs and bible stories. He has music class, chapel, gym, cooking class, and field trips! And somehow this is all fit into 9-1 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays!

From summer 08

Jackson also moved to a "Big Boy" bed. It's actually a toddler bed, so it's not THAT big, but he likes it a lot. Jackson is one of very few two year olds I know who says "Nap, please!" at nap time and who goes to bed very easily at night after two songs, one book and a prayer. He'll usually say "See ya. Peace!" as we walk out of his room at night.

From summer 08

WHAT a summer!!

2008-09-09T19:58:00.000-07:00

Okay, okay. I KNOW it's been 4 months since I've blogged. It HAS been one of those summers, though! We moved from NC (goodbye lake house, goodbye pool, goodbye boondocks- HELLO civilization!) back to Radford, VA. Jackson and I (and sometimes Alan) spent three weeks with my parents enjoying their very warm hospitality and all the fun that Lake Montclair offers! =) During that time we spent many days at Dolphin Beach (where Becky was lifeguarding...following in my footsteps ;-)) swimming and meeting new friends. Becky graduated high school so my Grandma and Grandpa B came out and Jackson got to be reacquainted with his great grandparents! My cousin Kelsey, whom I hadn't seen in 6 years came for a visit and it went way too quickly. Jackson and I got to catch up with Katie and Caleb and they came to visit us at the lake and then we joined them for a great day at the zoo. I was able to catch up with my long lost friends (Ashley and Kari and Maryam- my three bffs during my high school days). I went to WMZQfest (an all day country concert) and a Dave Matthews Band concert (fulfilled a lifelong dream of mine! =)) with them! I got to spend a lot of time with my parents and my sisters which is ALWAYS my favorite thing to do. Alan, Jackson, and I spent an awesome week at Virginia Beach with my in-laws and that was definitely one of the highlights of our summer! We put our house on the market (for sale by owner) and sold it in just two weeks and made a great profit! We house-hunted in Roanoke and within a week, we found an adorable 1927 Bungalow in a really cool neighborhood close to downtown. Alan officiated two weddings this summer for two of our favorite couples- Cassie and Andy and then Curtis and Laura. Jackson was a ring bearer in Curtis and Laura's wedding and loved it! Alan and I celebrated our 6 year anniversary and the next day we moved into our new house and did lots of painting, started remodeling the kitchen (we're still in the process) and began unpacking. Later that week, Jackson turned two and we had a wonderful birthday party with LOTS of family and some friends. It was a firetruck theme and he had a jumping moon bounce which he loved. Alan turned the big 3-0 and I got him tickets to see the Redskins/Cowboys game later this fall which he's very excited about since he's an avid Cowboys fan. It has been a very busy and very full summer. We love our new home and love Roanoke! We are excited about our new church and about reconnecting with our friends who live here! We feel so blessed and definitely feel like God's hand has been in all the details that got us to this point. And now for a LOT of pictures. Please feel free to skip to my next entry if you would like since this is basically going to be a photo album. I plan to start blogging again! I've just been dreading this "catch up" blog so I've been putting it off. So if you want to read all the captions, you can suck it up and go through them. If you don't, skip right on ahead! I'll try to update with the most recent stuff in the next couple of days!

From summer 08

From

From summer 08

How's that for picture overload!?! I'll put Jackson's birthday party pics, first day of preschool pics, and a few other recent ones on a separate blog soon!

Our First 5k

2008-05-15T05:48:00.000-07:00

We DID it! =)
This was the first 5k race that Mom, Dad, Liz, and I ran together. It was the National Police Week 5k and we all ran the whole way and passed a lot of people (aaand...got passed by a lot of people, too ;-)). We all finished right around the 31 minute mark which was pretty good for our first race. I think we all want to run some more. I'd love to keep working my way up to further distances but we'll see.

Jackson representing in his FBI shirt.

The runners and our fans! The whole family minus Danny and Becky (who had prom the night before)!

Speaking of, here she is with her boyfriend, Stephen. I got there just in time to see her and her 30 friends leaving in their party bus.

And here is Jackson on his first Metro ride. He called it a "choo choo" and looooved it! We'll definitely be riding the Metro lots this summer.

Just for the record, we don't usually let him have his pacifier unless he's sleeping, but he was especially cranky that day so we gave in.

Jackson and his Daddy at one of the stops.

Katie and Caleb's visit!!!

2008-05-15T05:07:00.000-07:00

One of my best friends, Katie came down to stay with us for the weekend and she brought her adorable 11 month old son, Caleb. Jackson was very interested in Caleb and for the most part did really well with him. There were a few times when I had Caleb in my lap that Jackson would get jealous and try to use his butt to push Caleb off and sit on my lap himself. ;-) Katie and I had a blast together like we always do and I wish so badly they lived closer. =( But we'll see each other a lot this summer while I'm in NoVa.

This is Caleb in Jackson's wagon.

This is Jackson crying because he hadn't had a nap and Caleb looking at his mom like "what's with this kid?"

Katie and Caleb at lunch. We went to "The Twisted Fork" and ate on their patio and it was such a gorgeous day. We also each had a yummy cocktail which made our shopping experience so much more pleasant.

Jackson playing with the "Thomas the Tank Engine" set at Barnes and Noble. He has spent HOURS on this thing. He throws a hissy fit every time we leave.

The boys playing together.

My favorite. You can tell Jackson likes Caleb! =)

So many photos to catch up on...

2008-05-11T19:47:00.001-07:00

I'm so bad about being a consistent blogger. Sorry, blogging buddies. It'll probably be easier once summer is here cause I'll have Alan home to help out with Jackson!! YAY for being a teacher's wife! ;-)
Here's a few catch up photos:

Just a Jackson up close shot that I love.

This is Jackson's 3rd cousin Sharla dancing with him. She kept telling Jackson that they needed to go get married. I'm personally opposed to this idea.

Here's Jackson at the park near our house riding the "hosey."

Here he is waving good-bye and looking like such a little man.

And here he is swinging on the big boy swing. He hates the baby swing which sucks because he falls backwards off of this swing more often than not. Oh well!
Coming up next in future blogs: Katie and Caleb's trip to visit us, pics from the 5k I ran in D.C. this last weekend, and pics from the Janney's last visit down. Get excited! ;-)

"Our" Dog

2008-05-08T05:06:00.001-07:00

This is Lacy. She swims across the lake to visit us most days.

Jackson always gets really excited and starts shouting "Dog! DOG! Cheeyos."

So then I give him cheerios (cheeyos) and he feeds them to Lacy. She's a sweet yellow lab and makes me want a dog. We usually throw a ball for her and she comes with us on walks a lot. We're going to miss her when we move in a few weeks. I was thinking about dognapping her, but I think she'd miss the lake.

Myrtle Beach

2008-04-02T19:47:00.000-07:00

Annie (my sister), Danny (her hubby), Alan and I went to Myrtle Beach for spring break. Yes we are all in our mid to late 20's but that is NO reason to let spring breaks end! ;-) It was our first week away from Jackson and his Gigi and Gpa (my parents) kept him and he had a blast. We missed him a lot but it was so relaxing and so much fun! =)

I'm totally a beach over mountains girl. I think it's so peaceful and I loooove sunshine.

Alan flying his kite.

Totally candid. I never pose for pics. ;-)

I got a little camera happy at the beach.

Alan's viewpoint.

Alan and I.

Anne and Danny at Barefoot Landing. We'd just done a wine tasting AND fed a swan.

My Annie and I. She's been my best friend since the day Mom and Dad brought her home from the hospital. And no, we're not identical twins even though I KNOW the resemblance is striking.

Anne and Danny at the 30$ a person seafood buffet. You can see some of the evidence of the MASSIVE amount of crab legs that Danny ate. It was SO good! =)

Alan and I. I was so full it hurt to smile.

My girls' weekend!

2008-03-06T05:40:00.000-08:00

Seven years ago this coming June, I was a lifeguard at a Young Life camp called Rockbridge for a month. I worked with 50 or so other college students doing a lot of different jobs. Three of those girls and I especially hit it off. Karen worked in the camp store, Katie worked on the ropes course, and Bekah was a fellow lifeguard. Over the years we've all stayed in touch and met up fairly regularly. The three of those girls were a part of my wedding and then we were a part of Katie's wedding when she got married. We've had lots of fun trips and lots of awesome memories.
Here we are at Myrtle Beach together:

Here we are at Katie's wedding:

This weekend we got together for our first official reunion since Katie and I have had our babies. Katie and I had gotten together a few times and our babies, Caleb and Jackson hit it off great. We went to DC and had a blast eating at nice restaurants, drinking coffee, watching a movie (Juno- which is SO good!), laughing, talking, and going out to fun bars and pubs.
Here we are at Panera catching up on life:

Here are Katie, me, and Karen (Smaka) at an Irish pub drinking cider:

Here are Bekah, Katie, and I at La Tasca (a cool tapas place):

Smaka and Bekah:

Smaka and I:

My three best Summer Staff girls:

He doesn't get it...

2008-02-08T11:04:00.000-08:00

I bought Jackson a potty because I've heard this (18 months) is a good time to start the whole potty training thing. I showed him the potty and let him sit on it and when I came back in, there was something inside! Not what I was going for.

This is the shirt my mommy friend Brenda made for Jackson for our Valentine's Day exchange! How cute is this!? It's good because it warns all the little girl babies that Jackson is a heart breaker.

He's perfected the pout...

2008-02-08T10:44:00.000-08:00

Jackson makes this face whenever he hurts one of us and we say "ouch". It's almost like he's saying "Awww, poor baby!" and mocking us. He also makes it when we take his pacifier away.

Jackson's black and white photo shoot...

2008-02-07T22:04:00.000-08:00

Do you like these in black and white? Yeah, it doesn't matter if you don't. I had to do them in b&w because he was wearing my hat and scarf which are a very girly peach color. =)

Seasonal Depression and Tanning Beds...

2008-01-20T19:34:00.000-08:00

I haven't been diagnosed with seasonal depression per se, but I definitely have self-diagnosed myself with it. As soon as Christmas is over, it kicks in. Oh, I HATE winter. I hate being cold, I hate that the leaves fall off the trees, I hate that I get pale and pasty. I'm a summer girl through and through. I love the sunshine and the beach and the tan (through a healthy layer of sunscreen of course ;-)) and the vacations and the watermelon and the swimming. My cousin, Megan just posted her family pics from Maui (where they were last week) and my friend Amy posted her Christmas pics from their cruise to the Caribbean and I'm SO jealous.
I gave up going to the tanning bed a few years back when I decided 1) I wanted to live to be older than 40 or so 2)I didn't want to be a wrinkly old hag and 3) It's kind of unnatural to be tan all year long. A good number of my friends still go tanning regularly and as winter stretches on, I'm starting to really crave a tanning session or two. It's so warm and when I close my eyes and doze off and on, it's like I'm really on a beach. Granted, sometimes I think "this is a plastic bed of cancer" but most of the time it's really quite lovely. My aunt has been diagnosed with seasonal depression and the doctor gave her a special light to sit under a certain amount of time during the day. So basically the tanning bed is the same thing, right? What do you think?
Sarah in the winter:

Sarah in the summer:

Is the seasonal depression at all evident?

Some of our faves...

2008-01-16T22:11:00.000-08:00

Alan, Jackson, and I got together with some of our favorite friends! We went over to see Cory, Melynda, and Trevor and Amelia, Jon, and Emma came too!

Here is Alan trying to hold Emma and Jackson. Emma is tasting one of the coins that goes to Jackson's piggy bank. Mmm.

LOVE Emma's face in this one!! She's like "SERIOUSLY, what's wrong with you, Jackson!?"

Alan holding Trevor. Holding Trevor really made us realize that Jackson isn't a baby anymore!

Cory and Melynda...so cute.

Jon, Amelia, Emma, (and Baby #2)!! So exciting! =)

Sweet little Trevor in his bouncer chair.

As soon as Trevor got picked up, Jackson insisted on laying in the chair. He apparently didn't get the memo that he's no longer an infant.

Um...look at Jackson and Emma's eyes. How obvious is it that they are made for each other!?

The Mommies and the babies.

The Daddies and the babies.

And ANOTHER Christmas...

2008-01-16T21:28:00.001-08:00

Next we were off to Alan's Grandparent's house for another Christmas. It's always one of my favorite places to be. =)

Here is Great-Granny reading a new book to Jackson while Great-Papa looks on.

Jackson with his Auntie Megan and with Sandy. He's mad cause he can't get the paper off fast enough.

And another book. He got a LOT of books! =)

Jackson checking out his new shoes.

I love them.

Another Christmas...

2008-01-16T21:17:00.000-08:00

Okay, finally updating my pics again. Unfortunately a lot of the pics with my new camera that were taken by other people ended up pretty blurry because the setting was on manual rather than on automatic.
After we left my parent's house for Christmas, we headed to Alan's parents house. We had a great Christmas there. Jackson almost immediately noticed a Christmas package under the tree that had wheels and a handle exposed. He ripped into it and discovered this:

It was a mini Radio Flyer wagon. He likes to pull his toys around and is frequently trying to stand on it.

Snuggling with Nana.

Megan and Sandy.

Sandy and his new books.

Alan opening his Croc slippers.

Debbie opening her Croc slippers.

Me opening my Croc slippers. While I've never been a Crocs girl, I love my slippers and wear them daily so I'm a lot more excited than I look. =)

Us and our presents! Jackson was upstairs napping. =)
Now off to Granny and Papa's house....

Not in the mood...

2008-01-07T19:25:00.000-08:00

I have a bunch of pics to post that family and friends are waiting on. However, I found out tonight that one of my friends from an online mommy board was murdered and I can't think of much else. I've known her for almost two years and I'm in total shock.
This is the story: http://www.ktbs.com/news/First-degree-murder-charges-filed-in-slaying-of-pregnant-woman-7661/
Please pray for Teresa's little girls. She loved them so much and I can only imagine what they are going through.

New camera...

2008-01-06T21:05:00.000-08:00

Playing with our new camera:
Becky's eyes.
Wreath on the door.
Alan took this one of me and I wasn't trying to look like a Jedi...my ears were just really cold outside.

Christmas time...

2008-01-06T19:54:00.000-08:00

We spent Christmas with my family and it was wonderful! We were able to spend about 5 days with each side of the family since Alan gets a Christmas break now and we loved every minute of it. It was fun to catch up with old friends, drink wassail together, play cards, have happy hours, laugh, go to the candlelight service at my parent's church, and just to enjoy the magic of Christmas. =) Having a baby at Christmas made it magical again, too! Watching Jackson wander around the house and point at "Thanta" (Santa) and admire the Christmas trees and open and play with his presents was so much fun! Here are a ton of pictures of Christmas and this is only the first half our our Christmas trip!
Becky and Liz opening stockings while Jackson "helps".
Becky so loves her movies...Jackson is unimpressed.
Annie and Danny.
Jackson wanting to know when he'll finally get to open his stocking and making his pouty face.

Finally opened his stocking and hugging his tiger and panther.
Talking on his new cell.
Looking for more stuff.

He HATES this lizard.
Jackson sitting in his huge pile of presents.
Investigating Rex's teeth (thanks Auntie Annie).
Jackson's cute new socks (Thanks Great Auntie Lisa).
Jackson opening his favorite Christmas present.
OH! It's a REALLY loud hammering toy. Thanks Gigi and G-pa. ;)
Danny opening his present from Becky. A frog puppet with money inside.
Alan and Jackson playing with another cool present.
Annie, Mom, and Becky digging into a gift basket.
Dad and his camera.
Lizzy Lou.
Jackson with my mom (his Gigi).
Christmas 2007 family picture.

And THIS is Jackson's expression when we say "Make your Daddy face!".

Going Home for Christmas...

2007-12-16T22:46:00.001-08:00

I'm heading up to be with my family for Christmas on Wednesday and I'll be getting my NEW camera then! Finally! Now if I can just keep this one from falling in a pool. ;-) We're heading down to Roanoke after that to be with Alan's family for awhile, too. Hopefully I'll figure out my new camera quickly so I can post regularly again. I hope everyone has a WONDERFUL Christmas and really gets to enjoy this magical time of year with their families. I'm so thankful that Jesus was born and that we get to celebrate that every year. Here is my favorite family picture from the year. This is a repeat pic, but I think it really captures our family.

Merry Christmas from the Janney family!

Playing with Papa J in the leaves...

2007-12-16T22:44:00.000-08:00

These are some pics that Auntie Megan took of Jackson playing in the leaves with his Papa J. This was Jackson's first time riding in a wheelbarrow and I heard he really enjoyed it. =)

Too many pictures...

2007-12-16T22:43:00.000-08:00

My computer is running really slow because I have too many videos and pictures on it so I haven't posted in a long time because it takes so long. So, I have a lot of catching up to do!
Here are a few pics from Thanksgiving:
We started off the day going to Granny and Papa's and stayed until late that night. It was a wonderful, loud, and fun time. We now have two toddlers and two babies there which was a lot of fun.
Jackson at Granny and Papa's on Thanksgiving Day with Wade Phillips watching in the background. Go Cowboys! =)
Cousin Sharla pretending to be a baby and sleeping in Granny's cradle.
Auntie Megan reading to Jackson.
This is Sandy (Megan's boyfriend) and Jackson. Jackson has been making this face a lot lately.
Later, we met up with the other Janney family and celebrated Thanksgiving again! Tanyon is a year old and he and Jackson were very interested in one another.
Jackson and his cousin Tanyon hanging out.
A close up of Tanyon- he's so cute!
Alan's Uncle Ted and Aunt Barb- they are so nice!
Cousin Kristin and her boyfriend, Patrick.
Cousin Jessica and Tanyon.
Nana and Jackson playing with the camera.
Auntie Megan, Sandy, and Riley (the dog!)

Jackson's Bad Habit...

2007-12-11T22:56:00.000-08:00

This is an e-mail my husband sent out the other night while I was out:

I just put Jack to bed and returned to clean out our trash can.
Jack threw the following things away tonight:

5 wooden blocks
1 letter H block
1 blue plastic building block
1 Sarah's hair brush
1 candle
1 clean diaper
1 pair of hugging santa bears
1 clean paper towel
1 set of toy bananas
1 baby hat
1 toy airplane
1 small box
1 Dr. Seuss book
1 baby fork
1 pen
4 nativity figurines
Wiseman
Sheep
goat
baby Jesus

for a grand total of 23 things he threw away one at a time.

He also threw his shoe into his bath tonight after I toweled him off and before I pulled the drain.
Silver lining: He's a neat baby that can't stand clutter and likes to organize.
Down-side: He threw away Jesus.

Dinner date...

2007-11-13T09:03:00.000-08:00

We got to catch up with a TON of friends this weekend! I got to see my sister and lots of Young Life friends, got to have a Panera date with Stephanie (YAY Panera!! Oh, and YAY Stephanie!), we got to see Cory and Melynda and meet Baby Trevor, and on the way out of town, we met Amelia and Jon and Baby Emma for a dinner date. For people who haven't been reading my blog, or for some strange reason don't decide to memorize my posts, these are a catch up on Jackson and Emma's previous dates, the development of their relationship, and their betrothal.
http://srjstories.blogspot.com/2007/05/jackson-and-emmas-first-date.html
http://srjstories.blogspot.com/2007/05/tricias-wedding.html
So, we got there and set up their high chairs next to each other (just in case they wanted an "accidental" hand brush). That was where the romance ended.

Here they are. Emma is being adorable and photogenic, and Jackson...is stuffing his face full of hamburger.

Emma asking why Jackson won't share even a little bit of his hamburger.
Amelia and I with our babies.

Visting Floyd...

2007-11-13T08:57:00.000-08:00

We went to visit Alan's grandparents, Jackson's great grandparents, and my only local grandparents for the last 9 years since I've met them. When we first got there, Debbie took Jackson in to wake Papa up from a nap and this is the way they came out of the bedroom:
Jackson's new favorite toy, the walker, was established for the day.
Jackson and Papa discussing their day.
Granny pushing him around.
Alan and his Papa talking. Jackson had been playing with the teddy bear. Alan doesn't usually hold teddy bears around the house. =)
Debbie (my mother in law) and Jackson.
Granny and Papa saying goodbye (but only til Thanksgiving!).

Randoms...

2007-11-13T08:47:00.000-08:00

I hadn't put my pics on my computer for a while, so this group of pics aren't connected to one another.
Backyard exploring:

(turtle Jackson chased around the yard).
(the way he looks running...waving his arms and yelling).

Just Jackson.
Jackson playing Halo. This is what goes on while I'm gone and Alan babysits.

Jackson and his favorite Uncle (Uncle Danny) outside of the Smoking Pig.

Trick or Treat!

2007-11-04T19:59:00.000-08:00

Jackson and I went home to my parent's neighborhood to trick or treat for Halloween. We stopped by Richmond and had lunch at The Smokin' Pig with Anne and Danny which was a lot of fun! It's cute cause Jackson definitely recognizes my family now and gets so excited when he sees them. We stopped by and saw my Dad's new office on the way home which Jackson thought was pretty cool. We got home and my mom had made fresh baked cookies which Jackson thought was even cooler. He's a little cookie monster. We went trick or treating and my Dad took him to the neighbor's houses. Jackson liked ringing the doorbells more than anything else. When we got home, he thought the candy was a lot of fun to dump out of his bag and then put it back in. He never discovered it was edible so we kept it that way. =) Mom and I went out to lunch at On the Border and then spent a whole day shopping at good ole' Potomac Mills which was a lot of fun! Dad and Jackson spent the day together going to lunch at McDonald's and then hiking at Prince William Park. Becky worked on a lot of college essays and dressed up as a Burrito for Halloween to get a free burrito from Chipotle. I wish I had a pic cause it was hilarious! It was a wonderful visit home (as always) and I wish it could've been longer. =) I didn't manage to take any pics except the ones my Dad asked me to take!

Jackson and his G-pa about to go trick or treating! Dad was unimpressed with my photograph skills. However, all I could see through the viewfinder was the jack-o-lantern!

Jackson and I.

G-Pa making Jackson laugh.

The pumpkin G-pa carved for Jackson (which looks a lot like Jackson when Jackson is smiling).

Us again.

No flash...spooky!

A VERY Happy Halloween! =)

Jackson's best friend

2007-10-22T10:30:00.000-07:00

Our very good friends the Bonhams gave birth to Trevor last week!! He's absolutely adorable and Alan and I can't wait to meet him!! Alan and Cory have been best friends since middle school. In fact, at some point I'm gonna get a hold of this video I saw that they made in the height of the awkward middle school years where they are acting like secret spies and upload it to You Tube for all the world to see. Mwahahaha. But that's another story! ;-) Melynda was such a cute pregnant girl and came to the guy's 10 year class reunion one WEEK before her due date. I don't know if ya'll have been or remember being pregnant, but I'd sworn off large groups of people one MONTH before my due date! =) She's awesome. These two are going to be AMAZING parents!!
Here are the ADORABLE Bonhams with their new addition!

Handsome, little Trevor all snuggled up.

Going home from the hospital! He looks smart already like his architect Dad and his teacher Mom!
Trevor will inevitably be Jackson's best friend. Cory and Alan's other best friend, Jon, has a daughter (Emma- 10 months) who has been on several successful dates with Jackson. We'll just have to see how Trevor coming into the situation affects all that. Will Emma be interested in younger men? I hope not. It could really hurt Jackson and Trevor's friendship. =)

May the Force be with You...

2007-10-21T11:18:00.000-07:00

Jackson is going as Yoda this Halloween. I saw this Yoda costume advertised last year and I knew Jackson was too little to go trick or treating then so I knew it would be the one I got this year. I searched for it and found it on Ebay and I love it! We're going to my parents house for Halloween this year which will be fun because we know most of the neighbors. I wouldn't be surprised if my Dad wanted to walk around with Jackson but I think he should get a Han Solo or Chewbacca costume if he does. =) The great thing about my parent's neighborhood is that they give away full size candy bars and candy (not the typical snack size) which is nice for me and Alan! ;-)

This one is my favorite!

This one cracks me up because it really looks like Yoda is waddling around our yard. I was totally laughing up taking these pics.

I haven't been able to teach him to speak in a Yoda voice yet, but we're still working on it.

It's surprisingly hard to fit his whole body (ears included) into the pictures because he moves so fast!

I just like the trees in the background. This time of year is so pretty.

This one is Alan's favorite. His expression is so funny, I think.

And there he is really getting into eating that apple.

Dollars for baby's smiles??

2007-10-16T20:31:00.000-07:00

Unless I've just completely missed out on a growing trend, there's something strange going on in South Hill, Va. I took Jackson shopping at the local Wal-mart there the other day and no sooner had we walked in, then this older gentleman sees Jackson and waves at him. Jackson waves back and smiles and the man comes up to us and gives Jackson a dollar. He said, "Well, you're just so cute, you get a dollar! If you smile again, I'll give you another dollar." Jackson, being the entrepreneur that he is, smiles at him and receives another dollar. He's happily waving his dollars around oblivious to what they are. I manage to get them out of his hands by distracting him and shop for another 30 minutes or so. I'm then in the back of the store trying to decide whether to buy wine or beer or both when a completely different old man starts talking to Jackson and when Jackson smiles and waves the old man pulls a dollar out of his billfold and says "Well since you're so happy, you get a dollar!" WHAT!?! Is this common other places? Do other people's babies get dollars for being cute? I've only ever heard of being cute getting people dollars in strip clubs. If this is the norm in South Hill, then I need to make more frequent shopping trips!

Play time...

2007-10-12T18:30:00.003-07:00

This is my animal mat. Halfway in my tent.Check out my steering wheel.Hilarious. My sillly eyes!

Voldy the Giraffe

2007-10-12T18:30:00.001-07:00

It's Voldy! Poking Voldy in the eye. Giving Voldy a kiss. Please, no flash photography!

Bath time...

2007-10-12T17:58:00.000-07:00

Jackson loves his baths. WHAT is in this cup!? Mmm....tasty fingers! Tasty star. Tasty block. Splashing himself. "I'm done, Mom!!"

Megan and Sandy's visit

2007-10-08T05:34:00.000-07:00

My sister in law came up to our visit us at the lake this weekend and brought her boyfriend, Sandy. Jackson loved having more people to play with and was throughly entertained by them. Here are some pics that Megan took with her Mac:

Jackson showing off his teeth with Auntie Megan.

Them again.

Jackson and his Dad!

Everyone having fun.

And again.

Jackson and his new friend, Sandy.

What Jackson ended up wearing when Megan and Sandy got him ready.

Random Pics

2007-09-26T21:36:00.000-07:00

So, my camera is still broken (drowning incident), my loaner camera from my Dad is dead (battery charger incident), and I miss taking pictures. =( Here are a few random ones I've taken over the last month or so.

Jackson with his puppy from Whitney Leigh. We coincidentally named the puppy Whitney Leigh.

Alan getting ready for his first day of teaching. We're in a hotel cause we hadn't moved into our new house yet. And don't worry, he tucked in his shirt.

Lizzy and Matt came down to stay with us and here everyone is enjoying the pool at our new house.

Jackson is SO excited to be in the water!

The picture of relaxation!

Jackson taking off! He liked the way the pump would shoot him across the pool.

Jackson intently watching Sesame Street. He likes to be all bundled up like that.

Jackson's One!

2007-09-10T11:25:00.001-07:00

Jackson had a great first birthday party with lots of family and friends. He chose Elmo as his theme since Sesame Street is his favorite show and Elmo's world is his favorite segment. Makes sense. =)

Here he is on his real birthday at my mom and dad's house.

Here I am blowing out his candle (a little dramatically).

Getting ready to party...

Mingling with his Papa J and his Great Grandpa J.

His Elmo cake!

Trying out some of the food with his Aunties and Nana.

Jackson, Liz, Beck and I.

Party people.

Happy Birthday, Jackson!

Not quite sure what he thinks.

Mom and Dad showing him that he can touch the cake.

Trying it out.

Making progress.

Big bite.

That was good.

Present time!

His new giraffe from Auntie Anne and Uncle Danny.

Opening presents himself.

It took a long time because he had SO many presents!

Loving his new giraffe.

Auntie Megan, Sandy, and Papa J setting up Jackson's new playhouse from Gigi and Gpa.

All set up! Nana, Gigi, and Great Granny watching Jackson play.

So many new toys!

Inside his new play house with some new toys!

Sticking his face against the window.

Smokey came to the party and so did Matt and Mark.

Jackson and Gpa.

Post party happy hour with my Mom and sister.

Catching up...

2007-09-10T10:08:00.000-07:00

So, things have been CRAZY lately since we moved to North Carolina and have been super busy. Here are a few pics from California (I'll post more when I get them- my Dad has most of them). I spent almost two weeks in California seeing Lake Mammoth, Nevada City, Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, and Grass Valley! It was an awesome time with family and seeing so many beautiful sights!

My sisters and Jackson and I on the porch of our Lake Mammoth home.

A few of the Murphy cousins.

My family in front of Grandma and Grandpa Murphy's house in Grass Valley. Aren't we photogenic?

The view across the lake from where we were laying out. She had two baby cubs with her, too. Scary!

Jackson's silly face at Yosemite.

Jackson playing with his Liz and Beck at Auntie Lindy's house.

Mom and Dad at Yosemite.

Liz, Beck, and I swimming in Lake Tahoe. Brrr!

My sisters and I at Yosemite.

Jackson and Aunt Becky.

Think I got enough sister pics?

Jackson chilling in Reno with his underaged Aunties while everyone else gambled! ;-)

Our picnic at the park...

2007-07-15T15:54:00.000-07:00

*Thanks to my dad for providing me with a loaner camera until we get a new one!*
We love our local park and one of our favvorite ways to spend a Saturday afternoon is having a picnic there! Wanna see what it's like? I thought so, cause it's REALLY exciting! ;-)

First we ate on this blanket. Then Alan decided he wanted to nap but Jackson wasn't interested in that.

Here's Jackson waiting to play.

And there he is telling me that he won't let me take photos that close.

He wanted his Dad to hold him like this.

He also wanted to climb this tree, but Alan wouldn't let him.

Then we went swinging.

He loves that.

Then he acted like a monkey.

Then we decided to go down to see the river and he hitched a ride on his dad.

Snuggle.

Here he's getting ready to pull a Mike Tyson on Evander Holyfield. Don't bite ears!

Off to the river.

Almost there.

So pretty!

Jackson crawling away on all fours cause he hates the feel of grass.
The end! =)

More Lake Champion...our new friends!

2007-07-15T14:49:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the AMAZING people we got to know:

Here's Jackson with two of his new best friends, Tanner and Jesse on rodeo night!

Here he is with his girlfriend, Melissa. He had quite a few girlfriends that month. We're trying to help him work through his commitment issues.

Here's the fam on rodeo night.

Melissa, Michelle, and I. I miss them!

I so love these ladies. Me,Tracey,Melissa, and Mary at the county fair!

All the kids and I at the hoe down!

Jackson and I on 50's night. Please notice that his tat says "Mom". Totally his idea.

Liz and I.

The fam.
And I have a bunch more that I took on Liz's camera after mine died and I'll post those some other time !

Back from Lake Champion

2007-07-15T11:24:00.000-07:00

Sorry I didn't keep up on my blogging while I was at Lake Champion, but my camera ended up in the pool when the wind blew my jogging stroller into the pool. Booo. So, I don't have as many pictures as I wanted to. The good news is that Jackson wasn't in the stroller when it blew into the pool. Here's a few from the month we were gone:

A family picture. Alan decided family picture time was an awesome time to make weird faces.

See.

We love our baby.

Liz took enough pictures that I gave into the weird faces, too.

Auntie Liz, Jackson, and I. She worked her magic in the Moose Lodge while we were there. You should ask Liz how many pieces of french toast and sausage she can eat. It's impressive.

This is Liz and her friend, Michael. In the background you can see the bad, evil pool that killed my camera. Actually, I really enjoyed the pool and so did Jackson! =)

The Lake after a rain storm. I miss it so much! I could see the lake from our bedroom window!

Liz pondering the beauty of it all. =)

Jackson's preferred mode of transportation.

Building Castles in the Sand...

2007-05-31T22:37:00.001-07:00

Jackson's first attempt at a sandcastle.

Alan touching it up a little.

Not too shabby for a beginner!

Jackson loves his Auntie Megan so much!

And a family picture!

This is what vacation looks like:

2007-05-31T22:24:00.000-07:00

The Janney family enjoying vacation.

Jackson's cage...err...kiddie pool to keep him from crawling off. He obviously enjoyed it!

Jackson getting a little more comfortable with the waves...until a big one hit him.

Back into Mommy's lap.

Lunch break.

And the verdict...

2007-05-31T22:19:00.000-07:00

DANG, that's cold!

First moments at the ocean...

2007-05-31T22:14:00.000-07:00

We went to Virginia Beach with Alan's family over Memorial Day weekend and it was gorgeous weather and a very enjoyable trip! Here are Jackson's first moments at the ocean:

No, Alan's not walking on water here.

Checking things out while clinging VERY tightly to me.

Setting his feet (well, his crocs) in the sand.

Chillaxin...

2007-05-31T21:58:00.000-07:00

The day before we left for the beach we decided to get some sun in so we'd have our base tans! Well, Jackson was wearing SPF 50, so he didn't get much of a tan.

Frankly, Jackson didn't feel like Drew Barrymore was really deserving of the cover. He thinks her lips are an odd shape and that she always seems a little bit high in interviews. I'm inclined to agree with him on this subject.

He never sits very long these days.

I'm in love with his eyes in this one.

And this one.

Jackson listening to his Dad's iPod. Where are these voices coming from!? He's not totally sure if he's loving this song.

Wait, he DOES like "The Killers" new album! Just like his Mom and Dad!

Just Jackson.

2007-05-20T21:25:00.001-07:00

Here's my sweet baby. I can't believe he's 9 months old. These have been the longest and the quickest 9 months of my life all at the same time. If you're a parent, you understand.

He's the same sweet and easy-going baby he's always been, but now he's on the go. If there is anything to pull up on, he's standing in a half second. And he crawls everywhere.

Also, he has a tooth! It's really small on the bottom.

Rhododendrons (I had to google that word to find the spelling).

2007-05-20T21:21:00.000-07:00

The Rhododendrons are in full bloom right now at the front of our house and they are SO stunning. I wish they always looked like this. Here are a few of Jackson with his parents. As you can tell, he's smiling and laughing in the ones Alan took. He's so much better at getting Jackson to laugh during pictures. When I try the same tactics, Jackson usually tilts his head to the side and looks at me like, "why are you being so stupid, mom?" It's great. But here are some pictures from our first spring with our Rhododendrons:

Jackson had been hitting Alan and thought he was very funny:

Tricia's Wedding

2007-05-20T21:15:00.000-07:00

One of my old roommates from college (and one of my best friends) got married this last weekend. She looked SO amazingly beautiful and Patrick looked like the happiest man alive! I'm sort of a sucker for weddings. =) She's moving away to Minnesota (brrr) now but I know she'll be back to visit so I'm not going to get sad.
Here they are at the church:

And cutting the cake:

Here's my other college roommate and best friend, Amelia. She's holding Emma (the baby previously mentioned as Jackson's bride-to-be). I can't believe Amelia and I are all grown up and mommies. It feels like just the other day we were moving into our dorm room and apartments. Sometimes. =)

And here's Amelia, Jill, and I. Jill is another college roomie and good friend. Jill got bangs. I like them:

This is Amelia's husband (and Emma's Dad) Jon with my husband, Alan and Jackson. They have been best friends since they high school (they went to the same private school). It's pretty cool he married Amelia. Very convenient for our friendship. We're planning on going on a Disney cruise together sometime in the (not so near) future! Yay!

This is the beautiful bride and I:

Here is a family picture from the wedding:

My Best.

2007-05-20T21:12:00.000-07:00

This is Stephanie and I at the end of the year Young Life picnic a couple weeks ago. She has been my best friend here where I live for almost five years now and she's moving away and leaving me. Okay, she's only going to be like 35 minutes away but still. I'm REALLY excited for her (she's going on Young Life staff) but I'm also really going to miss having her so close. We led Young Life together, she lived with us for awhile, we've gone on lots of trips together, she's my happy hour girl, and we can hold record length conversations. I love her! =)

Jackson and his G-Pa

2007-05-20T21:09:00.000-07:00

My Dad came up to visit for a couple days while he was moving my sister out of her dorm room and back home for the summer (I miss her). Jackson got a BIG smile on his face when his G-pa came out of the guest room that morning. He definitely remembered him and was so excited to play with him.
Here they are having fun together:

And here they are both drifting in and out of sleep because I was taking too long to get ready for the lake:

While I was home...

2007-05-20T21:04:00.000-07:00

I got the chance to hang out with two of my very best friends while I was home. My best friend from high school, Maryam came by for a brief visit and she brought her boyfriend, Matt who ALSO came as her date to my wedding 5 years ago. I like him and I hope she marries him. =)
Here's Jackson and I with my bff:

I also got to meet up with Katie for a long lunch. I met her 6 years ago at a YL camp and she's been one of my closest friends ever since. She's due next month and is such a cute pregnant girl! The summer before last was all the craziness of her bachelorette party and her wedding and now she's joining the new mommy club!

Hooooome

2007-05-05T09:22:00.000-07:00

I went home for a week while Alan was on a business trip and it was so wonderful...

My parents in front of their lovely house.

Jackson and his Gpa playing on the front lawn.

Mom and Dad's "bistro" where they sit most nights enjoying a glass of wine and each other's company.

They SO don't look old enough to be grandparents. I love my parents!

My very cute sister, Anne Marie and her husband, Danny!

My sweet sister, Liz.

My baby sister, Becky.
I loooooooooove my family.

Jackson and Emma's first date

2007-05-03T14:01:00.000-07:00

Alan's best friend from high school and college and my roommate/best friend from college are married to one another. They got married a few months before Alan and I. They have a 4 month old baby named Emma who Jackson is betrothed to marry. Here they are meeting one another:

Jackson was pretending to be more interested in his mesh feeder than her while she was checking him out.

Here he is rolling his eyes after Emma taunted him about how much more hair she had than him.

Here she is striking a pose.

I can't even explain to you how beautiful her eyes are in real life! They look almost fake they are so blue!

She really looks a little like both of her parents. Jackson is quite smitten. Their future marriage looks secure. I hope he's cool with an arranged marriage.

Virginia Tech...

2007-05-03T13:50:00.000-07:00

Most of you probably heard about the shooting at Virginia Tech. My sister is a student there and I live nearby, so it was very close to home. The Friday after the shootings occured, everyone was asked to wear their Maroon and Orange to show their support to the families of the victims, to the students, and to the school itself. My Mom was up that day visiting, too. Even though a couple weeks have passed since then, we need to remember to keep all those affected by this tragedy in our prayers because this isn't over for them and won't be for a long time, if ever.

Me, Liz, my Mom, and Jackson

Jackson and Auntie Liz

Jackson and his beautiful Gigi! She looks way too young to be a Grandma in my opinion.

Alan and Jackson showing off his sunglasses.

He knows he's cool.

My bad...

2007-05-03T13:27:00.000-07:00

Okay, I apologize to everyone! I have been chastized for the fourth time today on my lack of updating my blog! It's back now. =)
Here are a couple cute pictures of Jackson from the park a few weeks ago. He's wearing a hat his Nana knit him. Could he be any cuter!?

Those were the days...

2007-04-09T12:20:00.000-07:00

Last week my Mom and my youngest sister were here doing college tours and it was GORGEOUS! Sunny and in the high 70's. Yesterday, it was snowing. Oh, how I miss the sunshine. Here's to those warmer days.

Jackson and I in the backyard. My mom took this one. She wanted credit for it.

This is Jackson with my mom (his Gigi). He looooves her!

Another great day...

2007-03-29T07:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the sun was shining and it was SO warm that we were all wearing shorts! Alan's mom, Debbie and sister, Megan came up to play with and watch Jackson and Alan and I went out to lunch at this delicious new deli! They had a great time playing with Jackson and taking him on a walk and Jackson seemed to really enjoy himself. After we got back, we all went in the backyard and enjoyed the sunshine on a blanket and the swinging bench.

Jackson with his pretty Aunt Megan.

Jackson and his Nana!
Then came the rain...but I like a good thunderstorm, too. Later last night I got to catch up with my friend, Tricia. I met her 8 years ago (oh my gosh, I'm getting old!) during my Freshman year of college. She's getting married in May and it was so much fun hearing all the details and catching up. She's moving to MN which makes me sad but I'm so excited for her and Patrick and I know we'll keep in touch. Picture to be posted of us....

A day at the lake...

2007-03-27T18:29:00.000-07:00

Jackson and I have been outside a lot lately enjoying the warm weather. We spent 4 hours the other day at the lake. It was gorgeous!

The pretty lake!

Jackson taking in the water!

I love this chunky monkey

2007-03-27T11:18:00.001-07:00

Lizzy's 19th Birthday

2007-03-27T10:17:00.000-07:00

Mom and Anne came down to celebrate Liz's 19th Birthday! We celebrated it a day early on St. Patrick's Day! It was really fun. We decorated my house, did the cake and candles, and Lizzy got LOTS of presents! Alan remarked, "I can't believe we're doing all of this for a COLLEGE aged girl." He just doesn't get birthdays. He is still confused as to why I expect him to decorate the house, make me a cake, and wrap my presents even though I'm in my mid-twenties. Birthdays are more fun when you go all out!
Here's Anne and Jack. They love each other! :)

Here's Mom, Lou, and Jackson. They were all wearing green which is good because I'm a
firm believer in pinching people who don't wear green on St. Patty's Day.

And here is Lizzy opening her presents and her boyfriend Matt looking on:

Some pics from a Day in my life

2007-03-15T18:37:00.000-07:00

I made a compilation of a bunch of pictures from a day in my life. Here's a few of them:

Jackson playing on our bed first thing in the morning. He is so much more cheerful than I am first thing in the morning:

Followed by his usual play time:

Watching his Dad:

Time for errands:

Starbucks date with Lizzy Lou:

He looooves frappachinos almost as much as I do:

Back home to Alan:

Jackson's first taste of sweet potatoes with corn:
(not a fan)

The sunset from our front porch:

Jackson and Alan hanging out on the front porch:

The End. :)

Our Day at the Park

2007-03-13T18:59:00.000-07:00

Sunday was a gorgeous, sunny day and Alan, Jackson and I decided to go to the park. I LOVE our park. It's one of my favorite things about the town I live in. Big, beautiful river, lots of green grass, and there were tons of families there playing together. And lots of dogs (you would have loved it, Anne). Anyway, we went for a walk and let Jackson play on the playground...well, we might have helped him a little bit!

This is his first time on a slide. He liked it!

He thought swinging was hilarious! He was cracking up.

Then we laid out a big blanket and played with Jackson, fed him some applesauce, put him down for a nap in his stroller (and he went right to sleep!) and then Alan and I napped on the blanket in the sunshine. Does it get much better than that!? I could hear the river, the birds chirping, and kids laughing. Alan's hand was resting on mine. The sun was warm and I was just so content. It's hard for me to understand how people doubt the existence of God when it seems so obvious that he created such a beautiful world for us to enjoy. I kept thinking of my mom's favorite slogan: "Life is good." It really is.

Coffee House pics

2007-03-13T18:49:00.000-07:00

These are just random pics from a coffee house.

I was trying to capture the color in Anne's eyes, but apparently they are gray. Like Becky's.

The camera did pick up Liz's eyes like POW!

Loving Danny's face in this one!

Jackson eating a delicious table.

Our day in Fredricksburg

2007-03-12T20:33:00.000-07:00

While I was up in Northern Virginia we met up with my sister, Anne and her husband in Fredericksburg. We ate at a strange restaraunt there. Our waitor was a flamboyant guy who I'm fairly certain was mocking us the entire time. The decor was lovely and the food was good...it just had an odd atmosphere. But that's beside the point. We all had a lovely time, though.
Here's one of the four sisters and Jackson:

Here are two examples of how Becky can ruin pictures:

She's the youngest sister, so it's expected! ;-) I believe my Dad actually said "This is as bad as taking family pictures!" Let's just say our family picture days usually ended up with at least one of us (okay, usually me) in tears and everyone mad at one another. We don't do pictures well.

That one is of my three sistos and Jackson (in a backwards baseball cap cause that's how he does). I think Auntie Annie pulls off the "Peanut Shell" sling look really well.

There's Jackson with his Auntie Annie and his one and only uncle. He likes his Uncle Danny. See:

Jackson's leaning back on him cause they are boys. Or maybe boyz.

And it was a particularly windy day so that is Gpa keeping Jackson warm.
I realize that I have no pics of my mom from that day! This is as close as it gets:

The back of her head!! Sorry, Mom. Next time you come I'm gonna be your personal paparazzi.
I even took one of ME!
It was totally by accident. There was a mirror and...it just happened to capture me in this "pose."

My first flower!

2007-03-12T20:31:00.000-07:00

This is the first flower in the backyard of the first house that I've ever owned. I own this flower. :)

It's a crocus, I think.

A lot of catching up to do...

2007-03-12T19:13:00.000-07:00

Okay, I have a lot of catching up to do. I've been chastized several different times for my lack up updates lately.
Let's see...the last weekend in Feb. we were up at Rockbridge for Young Life Leadership weekend. Here are some of our leaders and leaders in training. Several of our leaders couldn't make it up that weekend and a couple are in the bathroom. Just in case you were wondering. And Jackson's not a Young Life leader. He's a poser.

On the way home, we stopped at Alan's parent's house so they could spend some time with Jackson. Okay, and we MIGHT have had an ulterior motive in that we really wanted to take a long NAP since we didn't get much sleep that weekend. Here's Jackson playing with his Papa J. He LOVED this ball. I need to get one for him. And for my abs.

DADADADADADA

2007-02-18T19:38:00.000-08:00

Jackson talking!

Craaaazy weekend!

2007-02-18T17:19:00.000-08:00

This weekend was crazy and very fun!
On Friday, Steph and I picked back up with our old happy hour dates which we had stopped when I got preggo. She and I both had the Jumbo 27 oz raspberry margaritas. Although, she had hers on the rocks and not blended which is kind of gross. It gives her brain freeze if it's frozen apparently. :) Anyway, it was long over due and it was very fun catching up! I love her.
Steph and I this weekend.

Steph and I during one of our old happy hours:

On Saturday, Alan and I dropped Jackson off with our friends Katie and Pradeepa. They are expecting in June and loved playing with him. We celebrated Valentine's Day with a yummy lunch and a coffee house date. It was fun but as usual, I don't have a pic. I'm so bad about getting pics of the two of us.
Leslie came to town (for the first time in WAY too long) so a bunch of us went over to Texas Road House and caught up!
Here's Steph, me, and Leslie:

It was great seeing her again! She finally got to meet Jackson and they seemed to really hit it off.

My favorite Russian came, too. She came over to my house aftewards and it was so much fun hanging out with Tasha again. I've missed her sooooo.

After dinner, 10 or so people came over and a lot of them stayed til 2:00 a.m.! I was so tired this morning for church. My sister, Liz spent the night last night and her and her boyfriend Matt babysat for awhile today while Alan and I went out to lunch with friends. This is them playing when I got home:

You can tell Jackson is enamored with his Auntie Liz. :)
So...I'm tired. But happy. Bored yet?

Splish Splash!

2007-02-18T17:18:00.000-08:00

This soapy duck looks delicious.

That tastes TERRIBLE!

Wait, I might like it.

Jackson's many expressions

2007-02-18T17:12:00.001-08:00

ANGRY: "Waaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh"

CONFUSED: "WHAT did you say!?"

SHOCKED: "Oh, no you didn't!"

THIS is not a toy.

2007-02-13T20:32:00.000-08:00

Jackson was playing on the bed with me for awhile today while I took pics of him. He started to get bored and I was too lazy to get up and get him a toy so I handed him a burp rag. He was not impressed.
This is our conversation. His part was done mostly with his eyes.
Jackson: "I'm bored."
Me: "Here!"
Jackson: "What is this!?"

Me: "It's a toy!"

Jackson: "THIS is not a toy."

Our weekend

2007-02-11T13:42:00.000-08:00

This weekend Alan and I went to a marriage conference. It was cool and I think we concluded that we like being married. =) We have a lot of really fun couples that go to our church that we've known since the beginning of our college days. It's fun watching everyone change and grow up. Well, some of us. =) There were some preggo couples there and it was cool talking with them about baby stuff! We're gonna have so many babies in our church this summer which means more friends for Jackson...yay! There were also a few engaged couples and it was fun talking to them and (secretly) laughing about what they are getting themselves into. I know some people transition really easily into marriage. Alan and I were not two of those people. The first year and even the second one were really freakin hard. We both were pretty selfish. And it took me awhile to get over the frustration I felt that I couldn't just break up with him when he pissed me off. ;-) But NOW it's been almost 5 years and we're really happy together. But deep down, when I hear a couple say that their first year of marriage is "awesome!" I smile and nod and think in my head "okay, you dirty little liars!"
Jackson got to hang out with two other babies all weekend. Jackson (yes, they stole our name...a long story, but seriously, they stole it!) and Muribelle. The other Jackson is a couple weeks older than our Jackson and he was pretty fussy (he'd had his shots that day) but Muribelle and Jackson really hit it off. She had lots of hair that Jackson loved to pull and she really liked trying to poke him in the eye. She also was pretty good at taking his toys away from him and crawling really fast. She was 8 months old and you can't really tell in the pics but she's smaller than Jack. Well, she was lighter when I held the two of them at the same time.

He wasn't quite sure what he thought of her.

Here's Alan and I at an overlook on the retreat. I can't believe this place is so close to where we live and I've never seen it before. We're definitely going back sometime. It was SO beautiful so I got a little camera happy although the pictures don't do it justice:

FINALLY a snow day!

2007-02-07T15:02:00.000-08:00

This winter has SUCKED as far as snow is concerned! We finally got a few inches last night and it was VERY exciting! =) I was trying to drive home in it and saw SO many cars wrecked, stuck on curbs with wheels spinning, etc. It was crazy!
Here it is falling in our front yard last night:

Here's Jackson's first time out in the snow today. We were gonna build a snowman because one of our friends gave us the coolest "build a snowman" kit, but it was SOOO frickin cold that we decided to go back inside after a couple pics!
Here's Jackson and his Daddy:

And here's Jackson with his Mommy:

My BFF

2007-02-05T18:07:00.000-08:00

On Saturday I drove down to North Carolina and met up with my bff (best friend forever, duh) from high school. I met Maryam Elise when she was 14 and I was 15. It was my second day of high school in Virginia (I had just moved from Texas) and I was in P.E. sitting on the bleachers alone. Maryam came up to me and was all cute and perky and was like "Hi, are you new here!!?" and we've been friends ever since. We worked together at The Jesus Bookstore (yes, it's just like it sounds) and then we both quit and became lifeguards together. We were together the first time we both tried skiing (she was worse than me ;)) and we had lots of fun college memories together. This was the longest we had gone with out seeing each other (a little over a year) and it felt like not a single day had passed. Jackson took to her immediately. It's so funny how babies can totally tell when people are comfortable with them or not. Maryam loves babies and is gonna be SUCH an amazing mommy someday! We're planning our next get together next month sometime and I can't wait! :)

Attitude

2007-01-28T15:20:00.000-08:00

Jackson has been making some weird faces lately. This is his "I'm feeling a little insecure about my smile" look.

This one was after me taking a lot of pictures and he was just so over it. This is his "I won't take one more picture" look, I think. What an attitude he's getting

He's growing up

2007-01-28T14:53:00.000-08:00

Here's Jackson growing up:
3 Days old (6 lbs 10 oz):

1 Month old:

2 Months old:

3 Months old (we moved this month so I couldn't get a bear pic):

4 Months old:

5 Months old:

He has definitely gone from being a scrawny little thing to a chunky monkey! I think he's much more cuddly now! :)

Date night Shmate night

2007-01-27T22:10:00.000-08:00

Tonight my husband and I had a double date with a friend of ours who is newly engaged and her fiancee. We met up at the new Applebee's at 6:30. While Applebee's in most places isn't anything special, in our small town it has become a VERY big deal. It's grand opening was this weekend and the wait was an hour and 1/2. We were all hungry so we left to go to Shaker's which had a 45 minute wait. Finally someone (I think my husband) suggested IHOP where there is never a wait. We all laughed and then said "SURE!" It was SO good. I had a rooty, tooty, fresh and fruity. Instead of mixed drinks, we had a carafe of orange juice. The dinner was actually great and we all laughed a lot. It was nice to have adult conversation as opposed to "aaaaaaaaaaaaaahh gaga gaaaaa". We were going to see a movie but my husband wasn't interested in my chick flick choices so we went to Barnes and Noble and had Starbucks and I caught up on the celeb gossip. An all around wild evening!
As we were rushing around tonight before we left making sure the house was clean, everything was ready for the baby-sitter, I was pumping, and feeding Jackson applesauce, etc. I looked at my husband and said "Remember when every weekend we'd say 'Let's go out!' and then we'd just leave?" We both kind of laughed. Going out with a baby requires so much effort that I almost prefer a quiet night at home with a movie and popcorn.

My husband and I when life was a little more carefree (but not nearly as WONDERFUL as Jackson makes it now) in North Carolina.

Delicious Books

2007-01-26T10:44:00.000-08:00

We try to read Jackson several books a day. We think "Dinosaur's Binket" (from my cousin Rachel) is one of his favorites! Here's Alan reading Jackson the book:

And here is what usually ends up happening:

I keep telling Alan how important it is to read to Jack but every time he tries to, Jackson pulls the book into his mouth. It's pretty funny. But he just can't help himself cause apparently books are delicious.

Two words...

2007-01-21T15:54:00.000-08:00

LADIES MAN.
He's already playing hard to get to. Please notice his disinterest in the girls.

His friend, Sharla...

and his friend, Grace.

Playing with color

2007-01-20T22:11:00.000-08:00

Here's some pictures I took while playing with different settings on my camera.
Jackson's eyes are still blue. I wonder if they'll stay like that. His Daddy has brown eyes and I have green eyes.

And here's another one. His Gigi brought him this bilingual Baby Einstein dragon. She spoils him with lots of learning toys. He's gonna be the smartest baby in the world! Look at his lashes. I'm so jealous of them. I use three coats of mascara and mine still aren't that long.

This is my sixteen year old sister. She likes to get her picture taken. This is the jacket her ex-boyfriend, might still be her boyfriend, but no one quite knows gave her for Christmas. I love you, Boo. ;) That's what we call her. It's not like "boo" that some black people say when referring to their significant other.

Jackson Looooves Bathtime!

2007-01-20T08:13:00.000-08:00

He's recently learned how much fun it is to kick and splash in the bath and he really is in a great mood when he's squeaky clean. Can I just say that typing that last sentence took 5 minutes? Jackson likes to slap my keyboard and to kick my arm while I type. Violent little guy.

Christmas continued

2007-01-17T18:08:00.000-08:00

Next we headed up to my parent's house in NoVa. We were having a late Christmas because Anne went on a cruise with her husband's family so we waited for her because we're nice. Plus Christmas wouldn't be Christmas if we weren't all there. I wish we didn't have to do the whole inlaws Christmas thing. I have super inlaws and all but Christmas was so much less complicated when we weren't married and having to take turns with holidays.

Here's our Christmas morning. Aunt Becky and Aunt Lizzy helped Jackson open his stocking. His favorite stocking stuffer seemed to be this duck (even though it doesn't seem to be that way in the picture below). It quacks when you squeeze it and he always looks at it with a puzzled look when it does.

And this is my Dad with his collection of American things from his family. His parents are very proud of their FBI son and think he represents all things American. We referred to him as Captain America all morning.
Here's Alan and I:

I really like him. I mean, I've always loved him since we've been together but now I REALLY like him! I think marriage is much harder than people expect the first couple years. But now that we're going on 6 years it's pretty smooth. Alan says that he thinks one of the reasons God wants people to have kids is so they'll stop being self-absorbed and overly analytical. I agree with him that you stop thinking of yourself as much because your baby becomes your number one focus. But I also think this was his way of saying that he's glad I don't say "let's talk about our feelings" much anymore.

Here's the family at our delicious Christmas dinner. The fam + Matt (Lizzy's boyfriend). I like ham so much better than Turkey. It's one of the many reasons that Christmas is better than Thanksgiving. Just a side note.

This is what Jackson did during dinner. He slept on the floor next to my Dad, the baby hog. This was a big step for Dad since he usually insists on holding Jackson in his lap during meals.
It was so nice being home. My Mom is an incredible hostess and I just love being with my family. I'm a bit biased, but I think I got the best one...ever. That about sums Christmas up!

1/06/07

2007-01-12T22:27:00.000-08:00

1/06/07
Christmas was lovely! Alan, Jackson and I were very spoiled. We got gifts galore and had great times with our families.
We started Christmas at Ted and Barb's (Alan's Aunt and Uncle) for the annual Christmas Eve celebration. Jackson got to meet his new cousin, Tanyon Jackson, who was almost a month old. He was a big ole grumpy butt that night (which he really never is). He was really thrilled to meet Tanyon.

Later that night we opened presents with Alan's family. Here we are at their house.

Jackson and his mommy

Jackson and his Daddy. This pic resulted in an arguement. I kept telling Alan to look at the tree or at Jackson and not at me. He was like "why do you have to take a fake pic?". I was like "I'm documenting Christmas memories." He was like "Fake ones?". He so does not appreciate my photographic genius.
The next day we went to Alan's Granny and Poppa's for Christmas.

There's Jackson being snuggled by his Great Granny.

Here we are with my inlaws. They are a very nice family!

This is one Alan took of me. I snuck out to feed Jackson and an hour or so later Alan came in and found us asleep and he took this one. It was a lovely Christmas nap!

This is one of the great gimmicky things my camera does. It can highlight and accentuate any color I choose. Red, for example!
It was a lovely Christmas and I'm getting used to all of Alan's 3rd and 4th cousins and random aunts and great uncles that show up (this was our 5th Christmas together). They live way out in the country and some of them bring their own moonshine. And yet, Alan's Granny and Papa are two of the most proper and polite people I know! There's more but I'm realllly tired! I'll pick up with a few more from this Christmas and the ones from Christmas at my parent's house!

12/16/06

2007-01-12T22:26:00.001-08:00

Tonight we had a Young Life Christmas party and it was great seeing a lot of our alumni from back in the day! A lot of people got to meet Jackson for the first time which was fun. And we watched some old videos of camp and YL club from 4 years back which was cool.
This is Jackson before the party in his pimp a sweater vest. Curtis said tonight that sweater vests went out two years ago. Curtis is a dirty liar, though.
I'm pretty sure that Jackson is thinking "Throw your hands in the aaaair, and wave em like you just don't caaaare!"

This is Steph and I taking our mandatory pic together. If you've never noticed, Steph is always on the right side because it's her good side. Seriously. EVERY picture, she's on the right.

Here are lots of my favorite girls!! Cassie, me, Ann, Tiffany (holding Jack), Kitty Kat B, Whitney, and Stephy (at the bottom):
Here are Cass, Caitlin, and Whitney looking HOT!
And this is a picture from this morning. I asked Alan to dress Jackson and he said "what should he wear?" and I'm like "whatever you want!" I mean, seriously, the kid has probably a hundred outfits to choose from. Alan decided on a pair of sweat pants with a penguin shirt that didn't quite match, a red plaid hat, and Jack's sneakers which he never wears. You can sense Jack's confusion and annoyance with his father in this pic:

12/15/06

2007-01-12T22:24:00.000-08:00

12/15/06
I got one of my big Christmas presents in the mail yesterday! It's a Canon Power Shot S2 IS. I don't really know what that means other than it's a much better digi camera than my older one. Here's the first video we took with it:

I have a nice video camera, but for shorter clips it's a lot easier just hitting record on my new camera!
What else is new? We had a Christmas party last Sunday and I have some pics from that. Lots of people wanted to hold Jackson, of course. These pics are crappy cause they are with my old camera.

Before the party my sister Liz and my friend Steph came over and we made lots of beautiful cookies:

Oh, here's my funny random blog story. I was approached by a sort of sleazy looking guy at Wal-mart a week or so ago and he said "I like your look. You should think about modeling." Then he handed me a business card with his name, number and e-mail printed on it and this business logo for Cash Models. I laughed at him. I put the card in my pocket and kind of forgot about it until I was cleaning out my coat pocket later that night. I was about to throw the card away when I noticed it said in small letters at the bottom "connecting the adult industry on both sides of the camera". I proceeded to look up the website and it was a page all about Cash's "adult film" actresses and models. Yep, he wanted me to be a porn star- nice. That agent really knew what he was doing looking for hotties at Wal-mart. Eww.

Here's some pics with my camera as I was experimenting with the different settings:

12/02/06

2007-01-12T22:23:00.001-08:00

So, I'm a Christmas-aholic! I think I got it from my Mom. She decorates every inch of their house every year! And not in a tacky, plastic Santas everywhere way. She would use white lights and garland and beautiful Christmas figurines. Every morning and evening for the month or so before Christmas our house would twinkle with lights everywhere, inside and out. I've been wanting to decorate for Christmas since the week before Thanksgiving but wanted to wait til the painting was done at our new house. We finished the kitchen yesterday and it looks awesome. Here's Jackson helping me paint the kitchen sitting in his new Bumbo seat (that's a Christmas present so don't tell his Great Granny or Great Poppa that he's already using it cause we're gonna wrap it up on Christmas as one of the presents with their money! =))

That was just one coat of the paint in the kitchen. It's a deep red and I love it! I'll take a pic of the completed work today. Anyway, I started decorating last night and I love the way the house looks. I think we're gonna get our Christmas tree today!
So, Jackson loves tv. He will crane his neck wherever we are so he can see it if it's on. Here's an example of this:

He's wearing his "Baby's First Christmas" outfit because my parents were in town and trying to get a good pic of him in it. He was VERY uncooperative. Also, please notice that his top few buttons are unbuttoned. My husband does this to him and I don't know why. Maybe he secretly wishes he could leave his own shirt unbuttoned this much but doesn't dare.

11/30/06

2007-01-12T22:22:00.001-08:00

Well, several of my other blogging friends (okay, so I only have three) did really cute posts on Thanksgiving. I can't believe it's only been a week since Thanksgiving. This week has lasted forever with all the painting and unpacking.
Anyway, my Thanksgiving was nice. My husband, Jackson, and I went up to Northern Virginia for a few days. I'm SO crazy about my family. You can't understand how much fun we all have when we get together. Here's a picture of all of us last Thanksgiving (05):
Top row: baby sister, Becky (16), my dad, my mom, my sister, Liz (18
Bottom row: brother-in-law, Danny, sister, Anne (23), me (25), and my husband Alan.

We spent the day at my parent's house and my sister's inlaws and sisters-in-law and brother-in-law came. They had come last year, too. This year was kind of hard because Parke, my sister's father-in-law passed away this last spring from a brain tumor. While, there were still lots of smiles and plenty of laughter and delicious food, there was also a void we all felt. His widow was SO thin, too. I worry she's not eating. This is a picture of all of us with them last year when Parke was still with us. It was a much happier Thanksgiving.

Let's see, what else? Oh, my sister Liz brought home her boyfriend Matt, from college for everyone to meet. My husband and I sort of introduced them but it was fun for everyone else to meet him. He was a big hit with my mom and my dad watched football and would occasionally nod at him. Here they are:

We also had Dad take a bunch of pics of us for a Christmas card since his camera is awesome and mine sucks (I'm getting a really nice one in the next week or so!). This is my husband's favorite one:

We still haven't decided which one to use, though. I look awesome in all of them so it's hard. No, jk. But I did purposefully wear too much make-up which always helps in pics! :)
And finally, my favorite picture of the day is of my son and my husband doing their male bonding. I love how Jackson is actually looking at the pages:

New Blog

2007-01-12T21:33:00.001-08:00

Helloooo. I had to delete my last blog because I had some privacy issues and people wanting to read my blog that didn't need to be reading it! So, here's my new blog. I'm gonna start by posting all my old posts from my first blog on here. Here was my first one:

11/29/06
I'm not sure I understand what this is. I know that when I told my husband I was going to blog he informed me "blogging is usually done by witty people, it's not a diary." There seemed to be a serious implied insinuation that I am not witty. I can be witty! Dang, now I'm gonna be trying to be witty and that's just hard.
Who reads this anyway? Am I supposed to tell my friends about it? I don't know if I want everyone I know reading it.
My life is so weird right now. It's like I have everything I've ever wanted since I was a kid. I'm married to a great guy. I have an awesome baby. We just bought our first house which is nice. I mean, I'd like a Porsche and a sweet new Coach purse, but those aren't things I've thought "hmm, I've always wanted that!" My life is also kind of boring right now. My social life calmed down a LOT during my pregnancy and the following newborn/sleepless days that followed (and are still going). I'm painting the rooms in our house, unpacking, decorating, and watching a LOT of Tivo. Uh oh...is this starting to sound like a diary? Maybe I'm not witty enough to blog.
If any experienced bloggers read this...please fill me in on how this works. :)