All Things Orange

We spent the Saturday morning hanging out at the house and the park. Jackson loves his pumpkin mug from Sandy!! Then we spent the afternoon having lots more pumpkin fun!
Carving pumpkins:

J is for Jack-o-latern and Jackson!

Wow! So cool! What is the trick to these pumpkins Mom and Dad?
Pumpkin Cookies:

Jackson is such a helper these days! Thanks to him we have some beautiful looking cookies.

Happy As A Clam

Thursday night Brian and I attended Salute to the Stars Gala honoring the 2009-2010 Spotlight Teachers and also serves as a fundraiser for the Cy-Fair Educational Scholarship Fund. I was looking forward to dressing up and going on a date with my hubby!

Jackson and I before we dropped him off at my aunt's house.(Thanks Aunt Midge!) Instead of smiling for a picture he wanted to pick my nose!
I wanted to take a few pictures outside before we left but after the wind wrecked my hair on the first one we were done.

As we entered the Berry Center we were greeted by bailadoras and cheerleaders from the local highschools. The whole way down the "red carpet" they cheered and clapped. It was a little much! In the lobby area there were tables set up with raffle and silent aution items. We bought some raffle tickets and tried to decide where we would drop our tickets. Since I am the luckier of the two of us I put my name on the tickets. Before dinner I saw and talked to many of my former colleagues and assistant prinicpals.

Here I am with my former (Reed) and current prinicpal from Rennel (on the left), former assistant principal and principal from Postma (in the middle), and my former assistant principal also from Postma (on the right) who was named principal this year.

Dinner and "the show" took place in the ballroom. Each table was hosted by community members who donated money to the event. We sat the Postma table with 2 women who work for David Weekly and thier husbands. They were a fun crowd!
A drumline opened the show, during dinner we listened to many different speakers, the spotlight teachers were introduced, and after dinner there was a live auction to raise additional money for the scholarship fund. We went to check the raffle items we placed our tickets in and the first one we checked I had won! A fresh water peral necklace valued at $350!! I was so glad I didn't buy real perals for this night like I was going to.

I was beyond excited that I put them on right away! Now every time I wear the necklace it will serve as a great reminder of this special honor and to thank God for the talents He has blessed me with!

My hair is a little crazy in this last picture but I think it is protrays exactly how I felt!

It was such a fun night! I feel very blessed to work in a district that goes all out for each teachers and truly appreciates us.

Now Brian and I need to have another date where we can get all dressed up again, since he looked so fine!

My Little Monkey

Brian stayed home with Jackson yesterday and took him to the doctor. He was up most of the night before coughing. She gave him an antibiotic so hopefully that will do the trick. Brian is a great hands on dad and Jackson loves playing with him. Check out the mess the two of them made together (and this was just in the morning)!

Jackson also had a great time reenacting his favorite book!

More Fall Fun

There is no other way to start celebrating Brian's birthday than with blueberry donuts. Jackson couldn't believe he was getting sugar for breakfast! After a bike ride and a pitstop at the park, we got ready to go a fall festival at my aunt's church. Jackson had an absolute blast! He "played" a lot of little games and won some cool prizes. He found some of his favorite: pumpkins! He loves to point and say pumpkin. I love this picture of him with the pumpkins.

I love it in black and white too!

He picked out a pumpkin and decorated it with mommy and daddy.

We all enjoyed a carmel apple and won the bid on 2 silent auction items, Home Depot Gift Cards. Brian now can go buy his extension ladders and clean the pine needles from our gutters. And can I just say how much I dislike pine needles! They are everywhere and are not beautiful fall foliage.

Brian and Jackson raking the few leaves that have fallen. Jackson had more fun smacking the ground and leaves with the rake.

His absolute favorite thing of the day was the big bouncer slide. Brian went down with him the first time but after that he didn't need any help!

We planned on staying for about a hour and ended up staying more like 3 hours! I love my boys!

When we left Jackson was beyond tired and we thought for sure he would fall asleep by the time we got home. He fought it the whole way and once he did finally go down he slept 45 minutes! What? Maybe all the sugar had something to do with it, or his molars coming in, or his allergies!

Brian picked Genghis Grill for his birthday dinner. I must be wearing off on him:) We had a great time and our dinner was better than what I was dreaming about all day! We ended our day with a family walk, which is Jackson's new favorite past time.

I love days like these-every minute is spent with the two boys I love most!

Happy Birthday to the one who...

-makes me laugh

-cleans the house for me

-puts up with me

-makes my heart beat faster

-prays with me and for our family

-devotes all his time and energy for what ever is best for us

-keeps me grounded

-helped me create the most handsome boy in the world

-is the best looking man on the block

-beats me in everything

-can read me like a book

-is my best friend

-I have loved for 10 years

Happy 27th Birthday MY LOVE!

A Week With Grandpa and Grandma

Jackson was spoiled all and loved on all last week by Papa and Grandma. Jackson got to stay home from daycare and hang out with them everyday. He was treated to breakfasts out, trips to the park, walks around the block, swims in the pool, and probably what ever else he wanted:)
Brian's parents (and Jackson) were in our pool everyday! I know Jackson is missing that. We did heat it up but I was still not going in without being warmer outside. The weather the week they were here was beautiful. The mornings were cool, the afternoons warmed up, then the evenings cooled down again, and it never rained. Sharon was bummed that it wasn't freezing and snowing in Wisconsin so she could rub it in:) Mel's job this time was only to come play and hang out with Jackson, but he couldn't just sit around during nap time.

He managed to tear down all the bushes that lined our driveway and pull out all of the roots. It is still kind of a mess right now, but we are going to cement it when we do our back patio in January. This will give us more room to park in the driveway and put in a basketball hoop.

He also fixed many little things around our house that have gotten put on the back burner. Sharon kept the refrigerator and pantry full and the house clean. I don't think I even have to go to the grocery store this weekend! Thanks for all your help Mel and Sharon!

We enjoyed spending time with them, especially Jackson! It is hard to have our parents so far away from us all the time. We better stop making our guests work so hard or they might not come back!

So You Think You Can Dance

Anytime Jackson hears music his head starts to bob! He loves to dance to his Thomas video and his Tow Mater car. The other night he kept pushing the music button and dancing. He would say I dance, again, you dance! I think he has better moves than me!

Would you vote for him?

Picture Perfect Saturday

This morning Brian and I slept in and once we got up kolaches and donuts were awaiting us. I had my first pumpkin latte, and I am glad I finally decided to try it. Each time I thought about getting it I talked myself out of it because warm pumpkin grossed me out but it was really yummy! Grandpa hit up a few rummage sales on our block and got Jackson some steals for a couple of bucks:)

Then we got ready to take Jackson to see Live Steam Engines. Every third Saturday of the month the Steam Engine Club gives free public rides. We headed out and got stuck in some Aggie traffic on the way. As soon as we got there Jackson was in train heaven. He couldn't stop looking at them. The only downfall was the wait to ride them because Jackson kind of loss interest by them. Jackson and I ended up being the only ones that rode, we got to jump the line this way! It was one of the best train rides I have been on. They took us all around, through the woods, and over some little bridges. He has watched the video of him on the train at least 20 times already:)

Jackson fell asleep within 5 minutes of being in the car. So, on the way home we stopped at the outlet mall. Jackson slept in the stroller and we shopped!!

Jackson swam with Grandpa and Grandma for one last time, and Brian and I ran errands. I made carmel apple pies and the house still smells scrumptious! We ordered Chuy's take-out for dinner and the creamy jalepeno didn't disappoint. We made one last park run with Grandpa and Grandma and came back to celebrate Brian's birthday with them and apple pie.

I would say it was a wonderful day only missing one thing; my parents:)

He Makes Me Smile

Last night Brian and I were able to go out just the two of us. We decided to go see a movie since that is definetly something we can't do with Jackson. Just a FYI not many people go out to a movie on a Thursday night. We pulled in the parking lot and we thought the theater was closed. However, we ended up not being the only ones watching the movie. We saw Life As We Know It because we thought we would be able to relate since we have a young child. We really liked it and laughed quite a bit. But it also ended up being sad and a little serious not what I was expecting. We left the movie wanting to give Jackson a kiss and making our will. HA! A great conversation for the end of our night:)

Even though we didn't do much and weren't gone long, it was still good to get out with the one I love most! Thanks Mel and Sharon.

Quiet Time

Just recently we moved some of Jackson's toys and books up to his room. The first couple of times when he woke up from his nap over the monitor we heard him playing with his toys. Then he started climbing up in the recliner bringing along his books. He just sits there and reads until we come up to get him. I finally grabbed my camera to capture this sweet boy of mine! Normally he covers himself up with the blanket just like I do when I read or use my laptop.

I wonder how long he would read before he tried to get out on his own?

Sunday on the Farm

This morning we got up and went to church. After church we ran some errands, had lunch, and Jackson napped.

After his nap and Brian loaded up on his allergy medience we headed out to Dewberry Farm. I have heard a lot of good things about so I was excited to see what it was like. Good thing we didn't listen to the way the GPS wanted us to go because instead of a 20 minute trip it would have taken more like 45 minutes.

As soon as we unloaded out of the car Jackson was wanting to go see the animals. We spent a good chunk of time in the barn, by the pond, and feeding the goats!
Of course we had to take some pictures by pumpkins:)

Jackson was not in the picture mood today. I took what I could get!

Jackson spotted the tractor from a mile a way. Shh, don't tell Grandpa Gary it's a John Deere!

There were a lot of different things for kids to do. I was a little bummed you had to pay for a lot of the "extra things" after you pay $12 to get in. I guess I am accustommed to the good ole' Litter Farmer back home.

Jackson went down the roller slide with daddy first,

and then with mommy!

Then he rode on the cow train with Papa. He had a smile plastered on his face the whole time!

Because fall in Houston means 85 degree tempertaures we had to have a snow cone to cool off. Do you think Jackson liked it much?

We ended the day with a ride on the wagon out to the pumpkin patch. Jackson searched for the perfect pumpkin and used all his might to pick them up.

Jackson was done after the pumpkin patch, he needed his pacifier and Papa!

It was a great day spent on the farm, but I am sad there were no carmel apples! My Wisconsin friends please enjoy one from the Little Farmer for me:)

Fire Fest

Today we took Jackson over to the Cy-Fair Fire Department for Fire Fest. He loved all the fire trucks and especially the helicopter! We had a great time watching his face light up as he took it all in. Too bad Papa didn't get in a little bit sooner and he could have taken Jackson and showed him the ropes:)

However, I think the best part of Fire Fest for Jackson was the balloon he got right before we left. For the rest of the afternoon that balloon did not leave his hand. He did everything with it! It is the little things that often bring the most joy!