A Morning with Nature

Yesterday the kids and I met our good friend Nevada and her son Gabriel at the park. We played on the play scape and took a nature walk. Jackson wanted to go on a walk to pick flowers. Nevada offered to take us all on a nature hike to pick flowers and look for turtles and frogs. The look on the kids faces was priceless. I don't know that they really understood what a hike was, but they knew they were going to go into the trees.


Lets' me honest, for all of you that know me well, I do a lot of active things with my kids, but hiking is not one of them. I thought we were going to go down this cleared little path looking here and there for frogs, but no... we were dodging branches, trying not to walk to close to pickers and "watching" for poison ivy!


All was well worth it~ the kids had a blast. Jackson loved picking flowers for me and "Uncle" Nevada. For some reason this is what he calls Nevada. Nevada doesn't correct him, but instead loves that he calls her this and hopes it sticks. Once we got to a clearing we found a small little stream that the kids threw rocks into and looked for frogs and turtles. It was really a beautiful little area. I'm thinking we may go back there next month to get our family pictures taken.







Jackson, Aubrin and Gabriel were tiptoeing trying to sneak up on dragonflies and were just being silly. It was such a fun morning! I left the park with all of the little treasures the kids found on their hike.

Our Trip to Chicago

Todd and I had been talking about getting the inside of our house painted for a while now. We thought it would be a great time to do it since we are both done with school. The painter suggested that we not stay the night in our house while they were painting because of the smell and they also didn't want the air on while the paint was drying. So I decided it would be a great time to pack the kids in the car and take a trip to Chicago to see Aunt Erin and her family. We left early on Monday morning, in hopes that we would still be driving around nap time and Jackson and Aubrin could get a short nap in before our fun began. I have to be honest, I was a bit nervous about making the trip with the kids alone. I had no idea how they would be in the car for that long. We have had our car for four months and up until about 10 minutes before we let for our trip the kids found out that we had a DVD player in the car. We got about an hour into our drive and 16 times (Not kidding) of asking "Are we almost there yet?" I decided it was a great time to put in a video. The kids were perfect little travelers. We stopped once for lunch and once for a bathroom break. Aubrin slept on and off, but Jackson was awake the whole time. Once we got closer to Chicago he started to notice the trains next to the expressway that travel into the city and the amount of traffic that there was. He was amazed and had so many questions. Then there is my little lady that was looking for goats out the window. We see many goats/horses while driving near our house. Sorry Aubrin, no goats in the city!
Once we were in Chicago and at Erin's we had a ball. Jackson and Aubrin were so excited to see Will and Emerson (and of course, Aunt Erin and Uncle Jayson!) Jackson has been very curious about where Erin lives as well as Uncle Kyle and Colleen. We went during the week, so Uncle Kyle and Colleen were working, but we hope to see them next time we go!
We went to the park, walked to get ice cream, went to the beach and just hung out and played.
The kids had a great time at the beach. The water was cold, but we all went in and played. I was also a bit nervous about bedtime, but again they were perfect little sleepers. Aubrin slept in a pack and play and Jackson slept in a bed in the same room with me. At first they were a bit nervous to go to sleep in a new place, but I sat in the room and read a magazine and they were both out. We had a couple fun filled days and by the evening they were so tired. Then I would slip out of the room and enjoy some time with Erin and Jayson.
Jackson thought it was great that Uncle Jayson took the train to and from work everyday. He wanted to hear all about it. He and Uncle Jayson also played the guitar together. Jackson asked him if he knew any songs and Jayson asked him what kind of songs. Jackson said, " You know, ABC's, Rock A Bye Baby..." So they did the ABC song. Loved it!!!!!
Aunt Erin took Jackson and Aubrin on an adventure in her building down the elevators, up the stairs and as a request by Jackson, out to the dumpster! The things that amaze little ones.
We were sad to leave Chicago, but even more sad to leave Aunt Erin. We wished she and her family lived closer so we could spend more time together! We were excited to see Daddy when we got home. He was very busy getting things done around the house while we were gone and coaching baseball. I loved coming home to a newly painted home!!!!

Happy Birthday Aubrin

Our baby girl turned two! We spent the day celebrating at our house with family. This year we decided only to do a family party, although a family party is still 30 people. The kids had a great time playing in the backyard, bouncing in the bouncy and just being silly.
We woke up early and had a birthday breakfast. Then we gave Aubrin a few of her gifts. We got her a riding toy so she could keep up with Jackson on his. At first she was a bit nervous to ride it because it gave a little bit of a pull when she started to drive, but once she got going she was really excited.
Later in the day family came over for lunch and cake and ice cream. Aunt Erin came from Chicago for the day to celebrate with Aubrin and brought her a fish tank. At night we listen on the monitor and Aubrin is talking to her fish- it's very cute. Aubrin also got a pink soccer ball that she loves and a special backpack that she never wants to take off. Aubrin also got her very own set of golf clubs. Now she can go out on the course with daddy and Jackson to play a few holes.
Todd and I can't get over how much Aubrin is talking. Not just words, but sentences. She is a mile a minute and little bit sassy! Her favorite things to say are, " No way!" and " I do it all by myself mom."
Happy Birthday Peanut!

Last Day of School

I can't believe that Jackson has already finished his first year of preschool. Jackson absolutely loved going to school. He only went two times a week this year, but next year he will go three times a week. He is already looking forward to it. Between the Todd and I, we were able to go to almost everything Jackson had at school. Todd and I were so proud of Jackson when we would go and spend time with him in his classroom for celebrations or for field trips. He used his manners, played well with the others kids and listened to his teachers. Mrs. Katie called Jackson the "Classroom Cheerleader." He was the one that would get the other kids excited about an activity or would stand up and say, "Come on everyone, lets have teamwork and do it together." Things like this would always crack Todd and I up. Jackson is such a little lover of life and it's a bit contagious when you are with him.
Todd was able to spend time at school with Jackson on his last day. He is always so excited when daddy shows up in his classroom. Jackson also got to celebrate his birthday with his class on the last day of school because he has a summer birthday.
The following day was a play date at the park. All of the classes from the preschool were invited. Todd and I couldn't go, but Annie' s class was going so Krista offered to take Jackson. The fact that Jackson got to ride in Aunt Krista's car and go to the park with his friends and his cousin was so exciting to him. Krista said that he was so excited he couldn't contain himself in the car and was talking a mile a minute. Thanks Aunt Krista!
We look forward to another great year of preschool in the fall. Wow, where is the time going?