Boys at Play

I've been having fun capturing the boys at play.  Enjoy!

Ryan wants to climb and hang on everything!

DIRT!

And more DIRT!

Early morning wrestling

I'd go for the diet coke too!

The boys love to dig in the leftover dirt from last year's flowers.  I don't think I will even plant flowers this year because I have a feeling that Ryan will just dig them up anyway.

Let me climb in this pot of dirt.

Hot Wheels!

Fixing the wall with his gut hanging out.

Yardwork with daddy

Jackson's last soccer game - and he scored his first goal (for the other team!)  Even though he asked coach if it was time to go home during every single game he really seemed to enjoy the season and keeps telling me to sign him up again.

Watching the neighbors build a pool during our walk.

These boys LOVE play-doh!

Jackson insists on stopping at EVERY ant pile so he can wreck it and watch the ants.

Easter 2012 in Pictures

Happy Fourth Birthday Jackson

I seriously cannot believe that my baby boy is four!  Oh how I wish I could go back and snuggle that baby boy one more time.  His teeny tiny cry, pink cheeks, and perfect little lips.  Skip forward four years later and he can be the loudest, wildest, muddiest, most destructive little boy I know but the joy and happiness I feel from being his mommy outweigh any of that on any given day because he can also be just the opposite.  Our bed time talks and prayers are priceless and his hugs and kisses will melt your heart.  Being his mommy is one of the greatest gifts I've ever been given.  Thank you God!

We celebrated Jackson's birthday on Saturday at the fire station.  The fire fighters were so nice and we had such a great time.

First, the kids had a safety lesson.  Jackson listened really well and actually answered two questions correctly after the lesson! 

High five!

The kids toured the fire truck.

The birthday boy and his friends.

Next, the kids got to see the Careflite Helicopter.

Daddy and his mini-me.

After the tours the kids snacked on Chick-Fil-A nuggets, fruit, pretzels, and goldfish.

And then of course dessert!  I made fire truck cookies.

And we had chocolate chip cake!

Jackson actually got a little shy when everyone was singing to him.  It was really cute.

The kids took home Play-Doh as a party favor.

Jackson was SOOOOO excited about this party.  When we got there he was pretty much running around going crazy.  I think the party made him feel very special.  When he took a nap that day we were both sitting there quietly and he leaned over and said, "mommy, I loved the cake and fire truck cookies.  Thank you." 

Just Some Pictures and Random Things

We finally took Jackson to the zoo for the first time just a few days shy of his fourth birthday.  And it almost didn't happen because we were all sick last week again!

We got to feed the giraffes!

Jackson has been asking for a while to sleep on his top bunk so we finally let him.  The ladder is out and he has had a few weeks of successful top bunk sleeping.  

Ryan, Ryan, Ryan...what can I say about this guy?  He has passed right through toddlerhood and into boyhood.  He is into EVERYTHING.  He can keep up with Jackson just fine.  They run and yell and fight and wrestle and laugh and dance and play and cause all sorts of destruction every waking second of every day!  It is pure craziness.

On Jackson's bathroom counter in the soap and sneaking up to the top bunk (below.) 

Caught standing on the dining room table.  Sorry for the quality.  These are phone pictures.

Jackson and Ryan looking at our Resurrection Eggs that we use each night to study the Easter story in anticipation of Easter Sunday.  And please don't let these pictures fool you.  Ryan runs around like a mad man tearing apart the eggs while we try to keep it all together.   

I'm sorry about this one.  I just couldn't help myself.  He was dying to go outside after bath before PJs tonight.  :-)

I'll leave you with a few sweet stories about Jackson.

The other day in the car I had this conversation with Jackson.

J:  When will I get married?
Me:  When you meet a special girl that you really love and want to live with forever.
J:  Well I love you a lot and want to live with you forever.  Do you love me a little or a lot?
Me:  I love you a LOT!!

Last Sunday we were out in the yard doing yard work and Laine had trimmed the hedges.  Jackson found a branch with leaves on it and ran around the yard waving it saying, "yea Jesus, yeaJesus."  I just thought it was sweet until I made the connection that he was pretending it was a palm branch.  I asked him if he remembered what the people in Jerusalem said and then he started running around saying, "yea Jesus, hosanna, hosanna." 

He really does have a sweet side that comes out every once in a while when you watch for it carefully.  :-)