Drummer Boy

Here is a fun video of Jaxen "drumming"!

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And Jaxen's latest trick...climbing IN the cabinets!

Hope everyone has a good weekend! We are looking forward to Nik's parents coming. Oh, and I'm having my wisdom teeth out tomorrow....not so fun.

Pics from the weekend...

So this past weekend we took a total of 14 youth and 4 sponsors to Southern Nazarene University for Extravaganza. This is a weekend packed full of talent/sports competitions and they also have services throughout the weekend.

This year was extra-great because Jeremiah Bolich was the speaker. If you know him at all...you know he brought incredible messages! I was unable to attend the services (because I have an 11-month old) but heard good reports all weekend.

I usually take more pictures of everyone doing their sports and talent...but I had Jaxen to focus on, so these are the few I took...

8:30am - Saturday - we headed to the football field for the first of 4 flag football games. Jaxen immediately spotted the football and picked it up!

He loves to throw things and threw the football. It landed upright and Nik caught the cutest picture of Jaxen and the football!

Here is our football team, on the line and ready to start.

Those who were not playing football enjoyed entertaining Jaxen. At one point, they even put flags on him so he could be like the "big boys"!

Throughout that long day...Jaxen got ahold of some drum sticks and spent one entire game hitting anything and everything he could!

Everyone hanging out, watching the game!

Sunday morning we had some free time so Nik joined in a game of Disc Golf.

And some of our teens worked on some football plays.

Jaxen was right there, hanging with everyone!

Our youth loved on Jaxen and helped me with him all weekend long. They were super nice to him and he loved all the extra attention and time to play with new friends!

Although I did not get a ton of pictures, I did manage to get one team shot of our Flag Football team:

And one shot of our whole group minus me (taking the picture) and Jaxen (in the car asleep, because it was past midnight)!

As I stated before...we had such a great time. These teens are so awesome and they make any event fun!

Hello!

Hello, everybody! I have taken an unintentional blogging break for the past week. Sorry about that :(  I am still here and we are well. 

We had many many things to get done last week before we left on a 4 day trip with the youth group. And now that we are back...there are many many things that need to happen this week!

I called my babysitter today to apologize for the mess of a house she has to be in today, while caring for Jaxen. We unloaded everything in a couple of heaps and left it all there yesterday. So much so, that I even brushed my teeth with an old toothbrush in my bathroom drawer, because I was too tired to dig out my regular one from the luggage! Ha! We were are wiped out!

Yesterday when we got home I think Nik and I both prayed for Jaxen to take a nap because we were no longer functioning...and he did! So we got a little nap and hopefully after today, we will feel like normal again.

I love our youth group, and I love taking trips with them. But they are also very tiring! As a sponsor, you are the first up in the morning (6am), the last down at night (1:30am), the sunscreen-er, the encourager, the driver, the timekeeper, the water-boy...and the list goes on. And when you add a cute, 11 month old boy named Jaxen....well, let's just say this trip was very interesting!

Nik and I learned a lot about being parents and youth sponsors at the same time. But all-in-all, the trip and Jaxen were wonderful! We had such a great time, and I think out of 5 years of doing this very event...It was the best yet!

I will post pictures later on...once I get my life back together and groceries in my kitchen and dinner on the table and laundry washed!

I just wanted to drop a quick note to say "Hello"!

Sprinkler Fun!

Yesterday after I mowed the grass I turned the sprinkler on.

 

And the rest was history - so I grabbed the camera and got a few shots...

 

While I was drying his hair Nik took some pictures...

 

Mad Scientist?!

 



Jaxen sends his love...

 



That Person

I have become That Person....the one who puts their kid to bed and then does chores and goes to the grocery store. I left the house at 11:12 tonight! I can't believe it (and probably, neither can my mother - ha!). But we needed groceries and this week is already going to be a busy week - plus, our regular babysitter is gone for the week. So, coordinating childcare, our work schedules, and other activities that we have going on....going to the store late tonight seemed like the best solution!

I have learned that there are benefits to late night shopping...

• I can make it to the store in 3 minutes
• No traffic
• All lights are green
• The store is (mostly) empty and the people who are there have no desire to talk to you
• There is staff on hand, in every isle, stocking - If you need something they can help you
• I don't have to entertain Jaxen with toys, keys, my purse, or food samples
• I was back at home in 42 minutes

I think that is all I have to say about that!

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This little cutie got even cuter when he put on Nik's hat...

Seriously...could he be any cuter?!

I'm sure every mom says that...so just humor me!

Hope you all have a good week. I'm off to bed...finally!

Jaxen - 11 Months

Jaxen turned 11 months this past Sunday! Yes, I'm a little behind on blogging. I have not been in the mood to do much at all this week. Except dishes. For some reason, above all else that needs/should be done...dishes take the priority. Funny. I do hope that other things take priority soon. My house needs some attention!

For example...Jaxen has learned to pour milk out of his bottle. Onto everything. The other day, I noticed milk all over the floor. After I got on to him, I grabbed a wipee and cleaned the one spot up. On my way to the kitchen to throw the wipee away, I saw another spot that had dried milk on the floor. I bent down, swiped it and then I saw one more. Ususally, by this time I would grab the mop and mop my floor. But this week...I just let it be. So if you come over today - you will see dried milk spots all over my living room floor. From Jaxen.

That's just one new thing he is doing!

Since he now walks (really well, and everywhere) he has also learned to hide all the remotes from us. Sucessfully hide them! I have sat on the floor (twice now) watching a Bible study DVD and pausing from the player itself every few minutes when I take notes for the class I'm teaching. Who does that anymore... actually use the player and not the remote. Well, ME, since I can't find the remote! Ha!

He has also started hugging us back. When I pick him up, he will put his arm around my neck and squeeze. So sweet. Then he looks up at me for me to give him a kiss. And repeat. Until he is done giving me hugs. Then he squirms and wants down!

Jaxen is wearing mostly 12-18 month clothes. And is still in size 4 diaper. We think he weighs around 23-24 pounds.

He still takes about 24 ounces of formula a day. But eats really well, most days. He eats 3 full meals a day and normally has a snack late afernoon. The meal we have the most trouble getting him to eat is lunch. He eats oatmeal and fruit every morning for breakfast and I try to feed him vegetables for lunch (although his favorite lunch is yogurt and peaches) and then for dinner, I have started feeding him whatever we eat (in small, cut up pieces). This does not always happen though. Depends on what we eat. So I try to have something else ready, just in case. His favorite snack is a banana and will eat a whole one in one setting.

11 months...I can hardly believe it! He is so much fun, so cute and pretty funny too. He can be shy when there are a lot of people around and gets overwhelmed if a lot of people are talking to him/playing with him at one time.

He is sleeping between 10-11 hours at night. He will go down to bed around 9:30-10:00. If he wakes in the middle of the night, he normally puts himself back to sleep. He takes 2-3 naps a day (2 of those are really short naps, and the afternoon nap is at least 1 hour...sometimes longer).

I'm looking forward to this summer with him. He is at a fun age and we have some fun things planned. He loves the water and being outside. I still take him for walks in the stroller and he does so well. He has started waving acknowledging people when they pass by. And "talks" to them. He loves watching older kids play. He gets mesmorized by what they do and how fast they move. I know he is just memorizing their every move so he can do it too, one day!

Jaxen - your dad and I love you so much. We think you are a pretty cool kid. We have lots of fun with you and love to watch you grow and learn. Our favorite thing is the way your eyes light up and you get so excited when we enter the room. It pretty much melts our hearts each time. Thank you for that. Don't grow up too fast...we are loving this stage right now!

Vacation - Day 5, 6 and 7

We woke up on Vacation Day 5 to thunderstorms. No beach for us - so we headed to the Outlet Mall! 

While at the mall, there was a tornado warning. We were locked in the store while the storm passed. Jaxen, of course, had fun exploring...especially in the bikini section!

The storm passed and we continued on our way. After we got back, Jaxen and I laid down for an afternoon nap. Nik thought Jaxen looked cute snuggled up against my back and took a picture.

That evening friends of ours came into town to finish out the vacation with us. So from that point on...I have very few pictures! 

Although there are not many pictures...we did a ton of stuff. We basically crammed a full week's worth of stuff into two days!

Vacation Day 6 - Beach, pool, out to eat, mini golf....

Jaxen, running around the beach in his diaper and shark swim top.

Jaxen learned to get up and down on the lawn chairs...

so that is how he spent the morning!

A group picture of the "kids".

A group picture of the adults.

Mini-golf.

While they played, I kept score and kept Jaxen entertained!

Jaxen loved the big fish tank!

Vacation Day 7 - Before we headed home we spent some more time at the beach. Then we cleaned,  packed up, and headed out for lunch. We did some last minute souvenir shopping (looking), ate at an old-fashioned ice cream shop and then hit the road and headed home!

And that is our vacation wrap-up!

We had so much fun hanging out with our friends the last part of our vacation. We are back home and in the groove of 'normal life'!

Thoughts on Mother's Day

I am finally getting around to posting this... It was written late last night (or really, early this morning!).

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First of all, I have to say... It is good to be home from vacation! We had the best time. It was so nice to spend an uninterrupted week focusing completely on time with my husband and son. But, as always, it is nice to be home. I am nestled in my (very comfy, big) bed trying to put some thoughts on this blog before I call it a night (Our bed for the last week was a not-too-comfy full-size bed). Everyone else is sound asleep. It is late, but I wanted to get a head start on some laundry so my day is not completely consumed tomorrow!

And now on to my thoughts....

Tonight I got hooked on Facebook and some blogs, reading about all the wonderful Mother's Day wishes. Some were funny pictures of them and their mothers. Others were sweet words about what their mother means to them. A few were to moms who are not on this earth any longer. I even saw some wishes out there for women yearning to be a mom. And I watched a couple of videos that focused on the hard but rewarding job being a mom is. They all touched me in some way.

I don't (or try not to) take this "mom" thing for granted. I am so blessed to be a mom. More than I could ever have imagined. God made my dreams come true the day Jaxen was born. I am a mom because of him. And what a job it is!

I also try not to take for granted my wonderful mother. I am so blessed to have the mom that I do. She loves me (and my sister) unconditionally. She has loved us through the good times, the bad times, the hard times, the sad times and the happy times. She has always been there to love and support us through anything. I will never forget her reactions to some pretty bold decisions that I have made through my life. She told me "Okay. It's your life." And that was it. She let me live my life. She let me be who I was. And supported me and loved me through it all. Thank you, mom.

I am also grateful for the mother-in-law I have. For how she has raised her sons. Nik is an amazing man, husband and father. Thank you Kay, for the way you have loved your family... and me.

Happy Mother's Day! This was my first... but I look forward to many, many more!

Vacation - Day 4

So yesterday, we all woke up at 8am. When one wakes up, we all wake up because we are all in the same room. Jaxen is sleeping in his play pen at the foot of our bed.  The room we are in is super small....which makes the point that when one wakes, we all wake!

We have just been eating cereal every morning for breakfast to help save money on eating out - but yesterday we splurged and got doughnuts. After a yummy breakfast Jaxen and I went down for a nap. A 2-hour nap at that! And that was our morning! It was so nice to nap 2 hours after I woke up. The perk of a "relaxed" vacation!

Then we headed to the beach for a few hours. The wind was really up which made for some really fun, big waves! All three of us got out in them. Jaxen really likes the big waves (as long as he is being held) and he even likes when it splashes in his face!

I have a video I tried to post here...but I'm having trouble. 

As soon as I can, I will post it!

After beach and baths we headed out for dinner. Then stayed in and watched a movie. That has been another perk of our "relaxed" vacation. We have now watched 2 movies and tried to watch 2 others (that were not good), before returning them, unfinished.

Jaxen had fun playing on the balcony and with the glass doors.