Today's Special

Jackson really wanted to watch another episode of Sharon, Lois, and Bram on YouTube tonight before bed.  So, we watched the "Pirate Episode" again.



As I was searching for it...I saw a post (do you post on YouTube, or entry, or file...what are they??) Anyway, I saw one for Today's Special and couldn't resist letting Jackson experience the wonderful world of Jodie, Jeff, and the Gang.  (He even got to stay up 30 min past bedtime to watch it!)  




So much fun, since Aunt 'Daci and I used to watch it when we were little!

Excited to Go Back to School! (Jackson-ism)

All of a sudden with no prompting or conversation about going back to school on Thursday...

Jackson: "Yes! Yes! Yes!  After Wednesday it will be THURSDAY!!!  Do you know what that means, Mom??"


Mom: "No, what does that mean???"


Jackson: "It means I get to go back to school!!  I didn't go this week and I was so sad I didn't get to see my favorite Miss Ambra or my very best friend, Brady!!"


aww, so sweet!

Bedtime Prayers

So, the bedtime prayer started as they all do...(where this intro came from...I do not know)
"Thank you God for everything today and everything tonight."

But, this time he added a few more lines:
"And help us to know that we are safe, and that all the planets will keep on turning, and that we live on the planet that is the only planet with people on it.  Amen."

Exhaustion

I think this year we may have fewer than normal Christmas decorations around my house.  The outside lights are up (thanks to Grandpa), the tree is up and has lights on all sections (thanks to Grandpa), and there is a Nativity Scene out (never mind that it's Fisher Price and I think may be missing a sheep).  After Grandpa and I fought with the tree and the proverbial missing chain of lights on a pre-lit tree...well, I'm just too exhausted tonight to do any more.  And I know that there won't be more time any other day to do it.  So, the bows and ornaments might not make it on the tree this year.  The lighted garland may not make it over the kitchen...there may not be any cute Christmas candles or candy dishes.  And, you know what?  That's okay.

I did it all last year, because I felt like I needed to.  I needed it all to be the same.  I needed it to feel normal.  This year, I need a minute here and there to just take a breath.  So, no one worry that I'm not okay if I don't finish my Christmas decorating.  I'm not finishing my decorating because I AM okay.  Just tired.

A lovely tree and lights.  

They all work, that's all that matters, right???
Who needs ornaments anyway...

How cute that Jackson assembled all the pieces under the tree tonight.  Notice how they are all facing Baby Jesus...how sweet!  

But, take a gander here at Mr. Red Suit Wiseman...I wonder if he can't join the rest until we know his name? (see the Jackson-ism from yesterday)

Jackson-ism:

While watching the Bedlam game:
"Do you think Daddy is watching the football game in Heaven??"

(yes, I think he probably is...at least enjoying watching us watch it)

Jackson-ism

Jackson handed me something from his mouth...

Mommy: "What is this?"

Jackson: "Oh, just a piece of rotten egg from my breakfast that was stuck in my teeth."

NICE.

(was it really a rotten egg...of course not.  But, he thought it was since it had been there since breakfast, I suppose!)

We're On the Move!!

Well, Jackson received his new bike about 8 months ago, as a "big brother" gift when Katie was born.  We've worked on riding it a few times...but, let's be honest...we don't always have time to get dressed, take a bath, or fix a meal around here...who was I kidding when I bought that bike??

So, it was a beautiful day today, and Grandpa was outside putting lights in the yard, so Grandma graciously helped Jackson work on riding that bike.  He was so proud to be able to push the pedals around and make it go...

While Jackson has been working on his bike riding...Katie has been hard at work learning to move as well.  She is crawling, with some sort of awkward-not-yet-coordinated crawl.  She can definitely get where she wants to go now.  Jackson's toys are not safe anymore!!

I have a video of her crawling...but I cannot find where to add a video to the blog.  grrr...I'll keep looking.

Jackson-ism

While at Grandma Ruth's (my grandma) house for Thanksgiving:

Jackson: Mommy, who is Grandma Ruth's wife?

Mommy: You mean her husband?

Jackson: OH!!  Husband, yeah, who is her husband?

Mommy: Her husband was my Grandpa Jerry, your Great Grandpa.

a bit later in the day...

Jackson: Grandma Ruth, do you live here alone?

Grandma Ruth: Yes, Jackson, I do.

Jackson: Does your husband live somewhere else?
Or did he die?

Grandma Ruth: Yes, he died.

Jackson: Oh, is he in Heaven with my Daddy?

**My Grandpa died 14 years ago on Thanksgiving.  This was actually the first Thanksgiving we've had at Grandma's since he died.  So, how sweet of Jackson to be asking about him yesterday**

Jackson-ism

While watching a Christmas DVD in the car (the adults have not actually SEEN the DVD)...

Jackson: "Grandma, do you remember the name of this Wiseman?"

Grandma: "Was it Melchizedek?"

Jackson: "No, no the one in the red suit"

Grandma: "I will have to think a minute."

Jackson: "He has a beard. It's not the one in the purple suit either. You know which one now??"

Oh, dear!! I'm gonna have to re-enroll at OBU for a review of my Old and New Testament facts!!

Jackson-ism

While driving in the car:

Mom: "Look at all those molehills out there! Gross!"

Jackson (in his most excited voice): "Molehills??!!?? I LOVE to dig in molehills!!"

Jackson-ism

Jackson: "I have just one more favor to ask you. I have something bad to tell you."

Grandma: "What is it?"

Jackson: "Its hurting my brain. I have been thinking of a story. It is about a fire. And a remote control. You were stuck in the remote control. I thought that would be 'in-tre-sting' to you."

I wonder where he gets this??? Oh, yeah, mom just reminded me that I, too, make up stories in my head!

Move Over, Martha...

Watch out Martha Stewart...here I come!  Today, I cooked 2 home-cooked meals.  Yes. You read that correctly, two (2), the number between 1 and 3...2!!!

This is an absolutely amazing feat, considering I usually don't even cook one meal each day.  Normally, I do good to fix my kiddo some cereal (or toast him a waffle), pack his lunch (consisting of canned, frozen, or pre-packaged food), and go through a drive through or hastily thaw something from the freezer (that I didn't orignially cook myself).

I do like to cook, but it is not enjoyable when time is so limited, as it always seems to be around here.  I'm so thankful that my friends prepared so many wonderful meals when Chris died and Katie was born.  I (brilliantly) put them in small 1-2 serving portions in the freezer and there they wait for me to remember to pull them out for our evening meal.  Thanks, friends!

On this lovely November day, however, I was hosting a playdate.  Now, I felt just a bit of pressure (from myself only, as my playdate friends did not put any pressure on me whatsoever) to produce a nice home-cooked meal, as my two playdate friends are stay-at-home moms and I'm sure *wink* prepare home-cooked meals for their families on a regular basis.

So, my first meal of the day was Taco Soup with Cornbread.  This is an "old" family recipe...passed down to me from Chris' mom.  I don't know who she got it from...but it's GOOD.  Darn good.  And easy.  So, after we all got up and around this morning, I browned some meat and opened the cans for the soup, put it on the stove to simmer until lunch.

It was a hit, too!












The playdate ended up being a smaller date than planned.  My friend Faith called last night and her sweet boy Miles was sick.  So, they couldn't make it.  So sad, too, 'cause we all wanted to meet little Ella.  We'll plan another one...Miles, the boys missed playing Lightning McQueens with you!

My friend Samantha was able to make it and she brought her cuties Noah and Ellie.  Noah and Jackson had a great time playing with Lightning McQueens, Thomas, Potato Head, and who knows what else.  Jackson charmed Samantha with his wit.  Katie entertained us with her cuteness.  Noah is so sweet and such a well-behaved little guy.  Ellie was a cutie, and spent much of the time sleeping in the swing.

After my friends left, I decided that I had had so much fun being a little domestic homemaker, that I decided to cook another meal.  I know.  Perhaps too much in one day...

So, I set out to prepare a meatloaf with tater tots and some peas.  What do you know?  It was YUMMY!!  I'm so excited to have the leftovers, too!  Jackson helped in the process by setting the table for everyone.  He was so proud...I didn't have the heart to tell him that adults don't usually eat with kids' forks and spoons.  :-)

Another hit!!  Way to go, mommy!!








Mom and Dad joined us for the delicious meatloaf.  Jackson devoured his entire plate.  I guess he likes a good home-cooked meal every now and again, too!  Don't worry, Jackson, Mommy-Martha will cook again soon.

Such a Big Girl!!

Katie has really started looking and acting like a big girl lately!  She is so social and is just happy and smiley all the time.  She really tries to get your attention by blowing raspberries and making funny noises to get you to look, then she gives you this oh-so-cute smile!  She is so busy with her hands all the time...she touches everything, reaches for everything, and scratches/feels of everything.  Tonight she joined us for dinner for the first time in a high chair at a restaurant.  She really thought she was big stuff!  She sat proudly and ate both containers of baby food, drank her juice, and ate every fruit puff I had put in her diaper bag!





















I can't believe how big she is getting.  It seems like she's has just become a little person overnight!  But, she's oh so fun!!

Tonight's Jackson-ism:

Jackson: "Why did PaPa get fired?"
Mom: "PaPa didn't get fired, Jackson, what do you mean?"
Jackson: "well he doesn't work anymore...he got fired."
Mom: "oh, he's RETIRED.  That means that he is old enough to not have to work anymore, and now he does his work at home."
Jackson: "he doesn't do any work at home.  He just plays with me."
Mom: "oh, he works...what do you help him do?  You help him with laundry, right?"
Jackson: "nope.  I don't do laundry anymore.  I'm retired."

Thank you, God, for my sweet kids who make me smile everyday.

What Grieving People Want You To Know

I found this article on another blog that I follow.  Not all of this applies to me right at this time.  Some of it applied to me at one time or another.  I'm sure that some of it will apply to me in the future.  However, I have felt much of this and often have a difficult time putting my feelings into words, so I'm glad someone else did it for me!

1.  I am not strong. I'm just numb. When you tell me I am strong, I feel that you don't see me

2.  I will not recover. This is not a cold or the flu. I'm not sick. I'm grieving and that's different. I will not always be grieving as intensely, but I will never forget my loved one and rather than recover, I want to incorporate his life and love into the rest of my life. That person is part of me and always will be, and sometimes I will remember him with joy and other times with a tear. Both are okay.

3.  I don't have to accept the death. Yes, I have to understand that it has happened and it is real, but there are just some things in life that are not acceptable.

4.  Please don't avoid me. You can't catch my grief. My world is painful, and when you are too afraid to call me or visit or say anything, you isolate me at a time when I most need to be cared about. If you don't know what to say, just come over, give me a hug or touch my arm, and gently say, "I'm sorry." You can even say, "I just don't know what to say, but I care, and want you to know that."

5.  Please don't say, "Call me if you need anything." I'll never call you because I have no idea what I need. Trying to figure out what you could do for me takes more energy than I have. So, in advance, let me give you some ideas:

(a)  Bring food.
(b) Offer to take my children to a movie or game so that I have some moments to myself.
(c) Send me a card on special holidays, birthdays (mine, his or hers), or the anniversary of the death, and be sure and mention her name. You can't make me cry. The tears are here and I will love you for giving me the opportunity to shed them because someone cared enough about me to reach out on this difficult day.
(d) Ask me more than once to join you at a movie or lunch or dinner. I may say “no” at first or even for a while, but please don't give up on me because somewhere down the line, I may be ready, and if you've given up, then I really will be alone.

6.  Try to understand that this is like I'm in a foreign country where I don't speak the language and have no map to tell me what to do. Even if there were a map, I'm not sure right now I could understand what it was saying. I'm lost and in a fog. I'm confused.

7.  When you tell me what I should be doing, then I feel even more lost and alone. I feel bad enough that my loved one is dead, so please don’t make it worse by telling me I’m not doing this right.

8.  Please don't call to complain about your husband, your wife, or your children. Right now, I'd be delighted to have my loved one here no matter what they were doing.

9.  Please don't tell me I can have other children or need to start dating again. I'm not ready. And maybe I don't want to. And besides, what makes you think people are replaceable? They aren't. Whoever comes after, will always be someone different.

10.  I don't even understand what you mean when you say, "You've got to get on with your life." My life is going on, but it may not look the way you think it should. This will take time and I never will be my old self again. So please, just love me as I am today, and know, that with your love and support, the joy will slowly return to my life. But I will never forget and there will always be times that I cry.

©Virginia A. Simpson, Ph., CT, 2000

Today's Life Ponderings...

Jackson started a new reward chart this week.  (Those of you who know me well know that I'm all about reward charts...Jackson's been using them for as long as I can remember)....when he was probably 2, I started keeping a sticker page in the car and would give him a sticker for being a good listener in the store or restaurant, etc.  He had stickers all over his carseat!  But..I digress...

Anyway, Jackson has had much difficulty in getting himself dressed in the mornings as well as picking up his toys in a timely manner.  He handles all other responsibilities fine.  These two just seem to be too daunting for him to accomplish.  (or there are too many other things distracting him at the time).

So, I found yet another star chart and he's earning stars this week to get a toy at Target at the end of the week.  He has to earn a certain number of stars in order to get said toy.  While filling out the stars tonight I though...hmmmm...wonder if he's old enough for an allowance??  Now here it is 3 hours later and I'm knee deep in websites and facebook conversations about allowances and chores. whew!!  It's a lot of work!!

I think I will just tell him to get a job instead!  :-)

I'll have to think about this major life decision a little more before I present it to him.  However, in the mean time, my friend Allison directed me to a website with cool little banks:




The banks are supposed to teach tithing 10 % first, saving second, and spending third.  I will get one for Jackson for Christmas.  Thanks for the tip, Allison!

So...the decision is still up in the air.  Sigh...such things are hard to figure out on your own.  Thoughts and suggestions are welcome!

In other news...

Miss Katie is trying to crawl...she stays on all 4s for a long time, and rocks back and forth.  She'll be mobile pretty soon!!  She is playing peek-a-boo and pulls the cloth off her face and squeals!  so cute!!  She also waves her hand at you and all 4 grandparents are convinced she's saying "hi"!! Ha!

Well, back to the ponderings of life...allowance or no allowance and H1N1 booster shots tomorrow at the health department?  hmmmmm....

Jackson-ism:
Jack: "When we rode on Thomas, did he talk?"

Mom: "No, I don't think he did."

Jack: "OHHH!!! He was a MASCOT!"

Love that kid!! :-)

Odds and Ends

Some great things happened today...
1.  My new Usborne books order came in.  Oh. My. Goodness!  I have never seen so many books!!  I am so excited to read every one of them with Jackson.  I had a little party here last week and earned about $80.00 or so in free books.  That was great, but I'm always looking for a deal...and boy did I find one.  I think.

Anyway, during the party the consultant said something about selling Usborne.  Not for me.  Been there done that.  Did plastic bowls (Tupperware) in college and rubber stamps (Stampin' Up!) after Jackson was born.  But, then I saw the price of that start up kit!  It was so cheap, and well worth just the collection of books you get  in it.  Plus, the discount on future books is great.  So, I did it.  I signed up for the starter kit.  Which doubled my book earnings...now I could pick out $160.00 and THEN I learned that there are all kinds of specials and incentives for consultants.  WOW did I rake in the books...and all I paid for the whole thing was $49.00.  SWEET!

If you haven't seen these great and wonderful books...you should check them out, they are GREAT!  I happen to have a website for it.  www.ubah.com/HOS162682 if you want to check it out!  


2. the next wonderful thing that happened was my new little tiny computer arrived!  Boy, it was a great day for deliveries at my house!  Thanks FedEx and UPS men!!


I really wanted to take a picture of my 2 fun deliveries...but I figured everyone knows what cardboard boxes of books looks like and everyone knows what a computer looks like, so I didn't.


3.  Now, the next thing that happened wasn't really a happening at all.  More of just a realization...


My mom has been staying with us since February of this year.  She was here when I was on light activity before Katie was born.  Then she stayed to help out with the baby...then she has just been here cause it's nice to have her here and it has just worked out nicely...


But, she has been gone this week to a work conference.  And, I have officially been a single mom of 2 kids all on my own.  I wasn't nervous about it...for goodness sake, I'm their mom and we've certainly been alone before.  But, there's just something about the realization that I've done it. There were no crises, no one went without food, everyone had clothing, socks, shoes, jackets/blankets and hats on when it got cold.  The house is tidy and looks good enough for my satisfaction.  


So, I'm proud.  Quite proud of myself.  I've enjoyed the quiet (not that mom is loud)...after the kids have gone to bed and have thoroughly enjoyed this time just me and the kids.


That's about all I have to share tonight.  Just random things and thoughts.  I'll try to get back to posting the pics of the cute kids tomorrow...

Other girls "like me"...

I put the kiddos to bed tonight and sat down to play on the computer.  I found myself searching for "widow mommy blogs"  I found some!  I'm so intrigued to find other girls who have a *similar* situation.

I can't wait to read some of these...
And you may ask yourself-well...how did I get here?
Fresh Widow
Widow Wise

Probably nothing that anyone else is excited or interested in...but since this is my blog and my journey, I figure I can put on here whatever I want!

Jackson-ism

While eating Cheese-itz...
Jackson: "Mommy, why do cheese-itz have this little hole in the middle?"
Mom: "You know, I have no idea."
Jackson: "We should email them and ask."

Another Relaxing Sunday

See the Cuties I took to church with me this morning:

And while Katie was napping, Jackson and I enjoyed a rousing game of Hungry, Hungry Hippos.  He has all kinds of rules for this game.  Funny, I always thought it was so simple...just push the button and get your Hippo to eat the most marbles.  Nope, not that simple at all.  Sometimes you are in charge of 2 Hippos, sometimes 3.  Sometimes there are other rules that I don't understand or even know about, but Jackson declares that he wins almost every time, no matter how many marbles I count!

After Hippos, we took a look at YouTube, in search of the Skin-a-ma-rink song.  I found it, and we watched clips of Sharon, Lois, and Bram for about 45 minutes.  Jackson was so impressed that I knew those songs and had so much fun watching them!  He was even more impressed to learn that Sharon, Lois, and Bram were on TV when Mommy was a little girl.  He couldn't believe it!  

Never heard of Sharon, Lois, and Bram?? You should check them out on YouTube. They are sure to be a hit at your house.  Well, as long as you have kids under the age of 5!

Off to see what else we can get into this afternoon.  It's only 3:00...plenty more time to have fun and make a mess!

Earthquake!!!

Early this morning, our house was awakened by a loud noise.  Perhaps we were already "sort of" awake because Katie thought it was time to get up.  Perhaps we wouldn't have heard this noise otherwise.  Perhaps it wasn't too alarming because no one actually got out of bed to investigate the source.  All the while, it was a noise. The noise happened around 5:15 a.m.  I thought the noise came from my bathroom and Grandma thought the noise came from near she and Katie's room.  Hmmm, how odd.

When we got up, we saw on the news that there had been a mild earthquake over in Choctaw (not a new occurance on the east side of the city recently).  It occurred at 5:13 a.m. Sometime this morning, we also noticed that the trashcan under the desk was knocked over and trash was all over the floor.  Interesting...I wonder how that happened!  When I went to take my shower, my razor was in the floor of the tub, appeared to have fallen from the hook it hangs on in the shower.

We finally put 2 and 2 together, and decided that maybe we had a little bit of earthquake here, as well.  :-)  Who knows for sure!

Jackson-isms

My sweet 4-year-old just keeps me on my toes.  He comes up with the cutest things.  You just never know what might come out of his mouth.

Today's Jackson-ism...

Mommy:  "Go get dressed, you can wear short or long sleeves today."
Jackson:  (after searching in his room for his clothes) "Mommy, I found a long sleeved shirt, long sleeved pants, but I can't find any long sleeved underwear."

Short post tonight, but a sweet one, in my opinion!

Tickling the Ivories

We have a new toy here in the Johns household.

Chris' Aunt Brenda and Uncle Larry needed to get rid of their piano, so we are the gracious recipients.

Now, just because my mom has a degree in Piano Performance, my Aunt has a doctorate in Piano Performance, my Grandmother is THE piano teacher in her hometown, and my Dad is a Music Minister, DOES NOT mean that I acquired the piano-playing gene.  I did not.  I received the science gene.

So, what will we do with his piano?  Maybe nothing.  It might just sit there and look pretty.  Or Jackson may learn to play "Creepy Crawlers" just like "His Girls" in North Carolina.  (My Aunt's kids...you know, the one with the Doctorate...)  Or we might just ask Grandma to play Boomer Sooner every night before we go to bed.  It's all still up in the air.

But, I have a piano.

Chores and Baby Food

Monday is "chore day" at our house.  I am off on Mondays and Fridays and, therefore, try to use Mondays to catch up on all the work that didn't get done while I was working and over the weekend.

Jackson currently has 3 "jobs", and is very proud to do them.  I wonder how long that pride will last??
1.  Jackson turns off all the lights before we leave the house.  He proudly marches from room to room to turn off any lights and is very pleased with himself when he is done.
2.  Jackson puts his laundry away after I have folded it.  For some reason, I still feel compelled to fold it even though it looks like this when he puts it away:

3.  Jackson's final chore is fairly new.  He has recently started helping to unload the dishwasher.  His job is the silverware and anything not-breakable.  He is so proud to get this done.  Today, he enjoyed building towers with the cups and bowls as he unloaded them to the counter for me to put away!

While jackson was busy unloading the dishes,  I was catching up on one of my chores.  Laundry.  ugghh.  But, by the end of the day it will be done and I won't have to think about it for another week.

At lunch today, I had a stroke of genius.  For several weeks, Katie has been protesting green beans and peas.  She will eat either if it is with another vegetable like Garden Vegetable or Mixed Vegetable.  What is so intriguing about those instead of the plain green beans or peas?  Carrots.  That is what I discovered today.  I noticed that there are carrots in both mixtures, so I tricked her today.  I added 1/2 carrots to her green beans.  What do you know?  She ate it.  All.  Score 1 for mommy!!

And speaking of baby food...

A few weeks ago, I was bragging to a friend about my pantry always being cleaned out and not having more food than I need.  Well, I must admit that I have one exception to that.  And it is almost an obsession.  There, I said it.  It could easily get out of hand.

Baby Food.  I have an unnatural obsession with keeping the "right" amount of baby food on hand.  How much is that you ask?  I don't know.  I just know that it is a thankless job in keeping it that way.

The food is lined up in a certain order and looks very nice and orderly in my pantry.  There is quite a system that goes into making sure the food gets eaten in a specific order so that no one food is served more often than another.  Please don't ask me to explain it.

But, since Katie successfully and cheerfully at her green beans (and carrots) today, she enjoyed some juice in her sippy cup at the end of her meal!  She's so proud that she can hold the cup by herself and drink the juice!

I've gotta tell you...this blog thing is kind of fun!  Useless information, at times, but fun none the less!

See you tomorrow! :-)

If nothing else, I'm taking pictures!

If nothing else, starting this blog will force me to drag out the camera and take some pictures!  I have been soooo bad about taking pictures of these kids since Katie was born.  I'm just too stinkin' busy!

But, today, I dusted off the ol' camera and took some pictures of my kids enjoying this relaxing Sunday afteronoon!

Jackson enjoys playing outside whenever he can.

Today, he is digging in the sand, creating "landscapes" for his cars, trucks, motorcycles, etc.  He asked if he could play outside because he "had energy to get out" and kept getting in trouble for being loud while Katie was sleeping.

I wonder if Uncle Jeremy or Grandpa will be upset next summer when they go to put the pool up and realize that there have been hills, valleys, and ruts dug into and around it???

Also, I wonder why he chooses to play here instead of in the perfectly nice sandbox that Grandma and Grandpa bought him for his birthday??

And inside, after her nap, Miss Katie enjoyed practicing her crawling readiness skills!

So, thanks, friends for looking at my blog.  Maybe now I will be more diligent in taking pictures regularly of the kids!

p.s. anyone know why these pictures suddenly scooted to the left??  It still says "center" when I do the formatting!

What do we have to blog about??

So, I thoroughly enjoy reading my friends' blogs.  Especially Faith, Samantha, and Jana.  So, I thought, "wouldn't it be fun to have a blog??"  So, here I am creating one.  And wondering "what in the world am I going to blog about?"

I suppose I will start by telling about us:
I'm Sonja.
I'm a single mommy.
I'm a widow.
I'm a single mommy and widow because my husband,
Chris, passed away August 27, 2008 from a blood clot.

I'm also an occupational therapist.
I am self-employed.
I work with some awesome kiddos and love every minute of my job!

Jackson is 4.
He's into anything Lightning McQueen
He's into anything John Deere
He's into learning about new things on the 'puter.
His imagination is endless and never ceases to amaze me.

Jackson was a UPS man for Halloween.
He wants to be a UPS man when he grows up.  Or an astronaut.
He's not sure.

I'm sure this blog will be full of "Jackson-isms" for you to enjoy!

Katie is 7 months.
She's just now learning to get around.  Didn't say she was crawling.  Just scooting around!
She is a happy baby and is very entertained by her Big Brother Jackson and cousin, Logan.

So, here we are.  Just the 3 of us.
Our life is not as organized or together as I would like it to be.
In the past year, I've had to learn to just let a lot of things go, because I can't control everything.

At the end of the day, though, I have these cute kids to remind me that life isn't about perfection, it's about the memories we make and the journey we've taken together.