The Janssen's

Christmas 2011

2012-01-02T14:47:00.002-06:00

Meet the king! Jake played one of the three kings in his Christmas play at school. Actually, I had to ask the dumb question of who were the kings. I grew up knowing them as the three wise men. Anyway, it actually was a very sweet production. He played his role perfectly.

Here is Jake in action singing with hand movements of course.

His class and the other 4 year old class.

Proud parents.

Here is one of the only pictures we took on Christmas. I really dropped the ball. But it was nice just to be in the moment and watch Jake's excitement when opening gifts. This castle was one of his favorites.

Jake with Granma. I can't believe how big he looks here.

Grandpa being silly.


Lee putting together the pirate ship. It took all day. This thing has so many pieces to it, but it was so worth it. Jake has played with this and the castle for hours on end.

We wish all of you a very Happy and Healthy New Year!

Fall Wrap Up

2011-12-15T17:09:00.003-06:00

Fall is coming to a close with Winter officially starting in a few days. Here are a few things we did to wrap up the season.

We all attended a University of Maryland Football game in October. It was a game to honor the veterans that attend the college. We got free tickets and brunch, so of course we went. This was Jake's first football game and my first in a long while. We had great seats behind the end zone. Go Terps!

At half time the verterans went on the field to be recognized. Jake went with Lee.

I actually caught the jumbotron when the camera was passing by Lee and Jake. What luck! It's a little blurry, but it was across the field from where I was was.

Jake has been playing school for months. Lee and I are getting a little tired of being the students. Jake won't give up his teaching position often. It's actually very cute to see him imitating his teacher at school and what they do all day.

Meet his student. Sleepy bear in the far distance, Teddy, Troublesome truck and tiger chair. And of course me. We were practicing writing our letters here. And guess who has to write for all these pretend students. Yep, me. Jake takes this very serious and sets up his classroom for us. Maybe he will be a teacher some day.

Jake has been enjoying the fireplace. He is on a coloring kick, which is perfect for sitting in front of the fire.

The highlight for Jake was going to the Strassburg railroad to see Thomas the Train. I had to work, so I sent Lee and Jake for a boys day/night out. Jake really thought he went to the Island of Sodor. That's where Thomas lives for all those not so informed about this as I am. They had a great time.

Lee is in the midst of finals. Two more to go and he is done until he starts his winter class. I've been getting ready for Christmas and am excited to say I am done. Now to enjoy the holiday season! Wishing everyone the warmest of holidays!

Fall Fun

2011-11-20T10:14:00.002-06:00

We love the fall. Maybe since we haven't experienced it all that often, but we love everything about it. The following are a few photos to recap our fall so far.

Jake's school does a pumpkin patch trip every year. They do a great job and all the kids and grown ups have fun.

Jake feeding the animals.

Our self portrait picture. Pretty good I think!

Jake excited to pick his pumpkin! He was very serious about it. He had to pick the best one.

Jake was obsessed with leaf piles this year. Last year he picked up and saved boxes of "special leaves" that we couldn't throw away. This year he just piled them up to jump into or ride his bike into.

I guess the leaf liked him too. It was stuck to his shirt and just hanging there. Last week the landscapers came to pick up our almost 2 acre yard of leaves. No more piles, but we are still having fun outdoors.

This was the first year we carved a pumpkin. Jake drew the picture and helped poke out the pumpkin sections. He wouldn't touch the inside slimy part though. I thought he would like it, but what do I know.

And here is Captain Pirate Jake! He has been obsessed with pirates since the summer, so of course he was one for Halloween. We thought he looked a little like Captain Morgan . . . maybe because of the color scheme.

Enjoying his booty. We still have candy. I think he forgot about it, and that's fine with us!

We are now gearing up for Thanksgiving. We are looking forward to the long weekend to relax and eat.

Twinkle Twinkle

2011-11-12T09:41:00.002-06:00

I have been going through and organizing all of the pictures and videos we have accumulated since Jake arrived. Man do we have a lot of pictures. Anyway, I came across this video and had to share it. Jake was 2 1/2 at the time. I'm still laughing. If only he still sang like this. And no wonder one of the strings on Lee's guitar is broken.

Our Turtle Friend

2011-10-16T15:41:00.003-05:00

I don't think I blogged about our turtle before so I will share with you a little story.

In the spring I kept finding holes in my freshly mulched gardens. I at first thought they were squirrels, until Lee spotted this! Digging holes in my garden no less. I guess I am a little naive when it comes to turtles, but I didn't know they could dig with their back feet. Or that they lay eggs in the ground and bury them. Poor thing was exhausted. She had made some test holes the previous few days and then decided this was the right place for her babies. They were suppose to take 45-90 days to hatch. And another tidbit for you. Did you know the temperture of the soil determines the sex? Nope, I didn't either. Thank goodness for Google.

We had almost given up on them hatching. We even had our house guest watch for turtles when we were away. Then on our way home from dropping Jake off at school for his first day we noticed a turtle on the walkway! Frankly, I almost stepped on it. Then we peeked in the hole and there were the other 3 waiting until it was safe to come out. It's sort of hard to see in the picture. Now I now why the mama turtle chose the mulched garden. You can see it's head below the small white rock in the center of the picture.

This is the little guy I almost stepped on. I had to keep him to show Jake, so he spent the morning in a Tupperware container filled with mulch. Truly, I was more excited than Jake, but what a cool experience! Hope she comes back next spring. We'll be watching!

Visit to South Carolina

2011-10-16T15:11:00.001-05:00

Still trying to catch up with the summer we had! The following are from our visit to my parents in South Carolina after we left FL.

Jake made fast friends with Miss Kitty. As you can see she was thrilled.

Jake and I stayed at my parents for about 6 months last year while we were in transition to MD, so it is always fun to come back. So many things to do and see. We really love the area my parents live in. Very family friendly.

Trying out the swing Grandpa fixed. It gets the stamp of approval from us.

All summer Jake tried to catch a butterfly. All summer. They were always a bit elusive for him, until he met this one. The thing wouldn't go away. Even after trying to catch it for 20 minutes. It kept coming back.

So eventually Jake was successful. He was so happy. And it still came back after he caught it. Those must have been some good flowers that grandma grew!

We went back to our favorite Children's Museum. Really is the the best we've been too. We could have stayed all day. And Jake is now big enough to go on the 2 story climbing thing, with out me. Yikes! He was very proud of himself!

Maybe we have a future grocery store clerk. Why do kids love this part so much? It's really not all it's cracked up to be.

The music room is always fun and loud. We only stayed a few minutes. Some very cool instruments though.

My dad built this foot bridge to get to Jake's sandbox. Well, that wasn't the only reason, but the only one Jake noticed. And my mom stocked the "creek" with fish for Jake. He loved it.

And then there was the humongous watermelons. My mom planted one plant to "fill in" an area on the side of a small hill. Little did she know how big they would get or how many she would have at the end of the summer.

They were half as big as Jake and almost weighed as much!

The big reveal. You never know if it's good until you try it!

Which Jake gladly did. It was yummy!

We also decided to take in a ball game. The Greenville Drive, a minor league team, play at this field, which is a mini version of Fenway. We had great seats and met Evandor Hollyfield (who threw out the first pitch, random huh. I didn't even know who he was.) We watched a few innings until we all got too hot. I think it was only 3, but just enough time for us.

Lastly, we went to Chimney Rock state park. The only one we didn't see when were here before. Lake Lure is in the background, where they filmed Dirty Dancing. Beautiful day!

We stopped at a historic hotel to check it out and they had this in the bar area. I think every bar needs one don't you? Wonder if it was local?

Hope that we can go back soon. We had a great time as always.

Visit with Phyllis

2011-10-02T15:14:00.000-05:00

As mentioned in the previous post, Lee, Jake and I all went to my aunt Phyllis's house for the weekend when we were in FL. We of course went to the beach! Jake had been wanting to build a sand castle with Lee since we got there. Perfect sand for building a castle!

I knew my aunt would kill me if I put a close up of her on the blog, so this is as close as it gets. Jake and Phyllis were looking for cool shells for the sand castle.

I know this one is sideways, but for some unknown reason I can not switch it around. Sorry. I didn't want to leave it out though. I'm surprised Jake let us bury him!

Only of course if it was followed by us burying daddy! Poor guy. He's such a good sport about it.

Had fun Phyllis, wish were were closer! Thanks again!

Panama City, FL Trip

2011-10-02T14:59:00.000-05:00

Going back further into our summer. . .

We went to Panama City, Fl for a week in early August to visit Lee and old friends. Lee was at his old work doing some research for credit for one month. It was a good excuse for us to go to the beach and sit at the pool at the hotel! Jake is enjoying the pool and lounge chairs here. It was a great pool with zero entry. Great for him and me since I didn't need to be holding him up in the water the whole time. Jake met a little boy we played with a lot. He was pretending to be an alligator here, Unfortunately, Lee was very busy and we didn't get to visit with him much. So Jake and I kept busy.

Here is a picture of Jake at the beach. I thought I would put them next to each other so you could see how great the water was when we were there, It was as clear and warm as the pool. We were told there had been a bunch of seaweed recently, but not when we were there.

More beach pictures. Jake had a lot of fun playing in the ocean. If only it weren't close to 100 degrees every day we were there!

I had forgot how blue the water is at the beach. Make me miss it a little since it is currently 45 degrees and rainy as I write this.

Here's Lee! At work still. We stopped by to say hello! Lee was able to join us in our trip to Phyllis's house for the weekend. Short, but nice time together.

Many of you know, but if you didn't, we sold our house in Panama City, Fl in August. Yippee! What a long process. We are glad that we don't have to worry about renting it out and managing it from afar. One less thing to worry about. So this might have been our last trip there for some time. So long for now Panama City!

Summer Randomness

2011-09-20T13:16:00.000-05:00

The following pictures are a few excerpts from our summer. We did a lot of hanging out and playing with friends. And of course, we tended our garden.

This is Jake in front of our garden. It has since been pulled out and turned over in preparation for next year. It did surprisingly well. We had plenty of fresh veggies for us and many of our friends. Glad I didn't join that CSA I was thinking about!

Train Conductor Jake! We spent a lot of hot days playing trains. My favorite was when I came downstairs to Jake all dressed in his conductor outfit. So cute!

This is a desk I saved from the trash down the street from me. Lee was so proud when I told him I picked something up off the side of the street. I am usually the one chastising him for picking up junk. I am hoping to re finish it for Jake. But for now it is in the garage. Maybe some day soon. . .

The previous two were taken at a splash park we found near our house. Jake (and Lee) had a blast. It's perfect for Jake's age. Of course we went on the chilliest day of summer, but Jake didn't mind. His lips were blue after an hour. I decided it would be a good day to be the photographer.

This is Jake and his best buddy Ethan. We were lucky to have them home for the summer after several months abroad. We spent a lot of time playing and hanging out together. We will miss them and are looking forward to having them back home next year!

Apple Picking

2011-09-14T18:47:00.004-05:00

Since it's been so long since my last post, I'd like to start backwards. We were away for most of August and school started last week for both Lee and Jake. More to follow on those items. But for now, the present. It is officially Fall in my mind. It's not technically Fall according to the calendar, but leaves are starting to change color and fall, the mornings are a little brisk, school is back in session and of course, it's apple season.

We went to our favorite farm to pick apples this past Saturday. I haven't been apple picking since I was a kid and Jake had never been. Lee grew up eating apples off of the apple trees on the family farm, but this city kid wasn't so lucky. It's always fun to pick the food where it grows and then eat it, sometimes right there.

Jake's first pick. A beauty!

Lee helping Jake reach the high ones. Sure we could have used the ladder a few yards away, but this was much more fun! Notice the boots on Jake. It was still pretty wet and muddy from all of the recent rain, but worth it.

Jake eating his apple after he shined it all the way back to the farm stand. I was shocked he would eat it with the peel on. Not usually his preference. Guess fresh makes all the difference.

The farm supplies these handy carts for hauling your apples. We didn't pick enough to need a cart, put it was fun for rides.

I am hoping to catch up on the blog. . . again. . . in the next few weeks. Happy Fall!

Swim Lessons

2011-07-07T10:31:00.001-05:00

Take 2 at swimming lessons! We tried this last year and it didn't go so well. We had just moved into our new house and Jake was none to pleased about going in the water without me or Lee. Jake had done lessons the year before and loved it, but Lee or I was in the water with him. So last year he cried the entire 30 minutes in the pool with Ms. Jane, his instructor. We decided after 1 week to call it quits. This year was entirely different, thankfully!

Jake always has a little anxiety about new things. Wonder where he gets that from? But after the first 2 minutes he was smiling and actually having fun. He worked on getting his face wet and blowing bubbles for most of the class.

He was pretending to be a shark here and chomp his teacher. He now can push off the edge and put his head under while being pulled. I can't call it swim yet, but we're getting there.

He loves the kick board. Or his "boat" as he calls it.

Learning to kick, float and blow bubbles at the same time. Learning to swim is tough!

Jake is very proud of himself and so are we! Isn't he just adorable?!

Forth of July 2011

2011-07-07T09:38:00.004-05:00

Can't believe the Fourth of July has come and gone. I'm starting to get flyers with ads for back to school stuff already! The summer is going by so fast. Guess it is halfway over. Sigh.

We decided to brave the traffic and people this year and take the boys to the fireworks in Washington D.C. We went with our friend Sara and her son Ethan who is best buddies with Jake. It was both of their first time seeing fireworks, so it was pretty special.

We took the metro in to the city and I think the kids had as much fun on the train as watching the fireworks.

Ethan is going through a no photograph phase. Jake did the same think about a year ago. It's really tough when you want to capture these special moments. But we tried anyway!

We watched the show from the Memorial Bridge. We could see the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument, where they set the fireworks off from.

Both boys thought it was cool to see the fireworks and weren't afraid at all of the noise. I think they were also excited to be up past their bedtimes!

Happy Independence Day!

Harpers Ferry

2011-06-10T09:05:00.002-05:00

Summer is here, but before we could relax Lee had finals. We took a day trip to Harper's Ferry, WV the weekend Lee finished. Here is what he looked like most days before he finished. Very studious I must say!

Harper's Ferry is a small historic town that the Appalachian trail crosses. It also was a integral town during the Civil War. It was occupied by both the north and south several times.

The town in situated right on a large river which once served many mills. There is also railroad tracks and at one time a large railroad company was situated here.

Taking a ride on Lee. Jake was surprisingly interested. I thought for sure he would be bored with all the old historic stuff, but I guess getting lunch and ice cream was enough for him.

We did a lot of walking, but we opted to sit this trail out.

I have no idea what this house once was. Jake kept asking where the roof was. I was standing in an old canal system that was used to bring small boats in from the river. I think. Do not hold me to any of these historic facts. You can only get so much when sightseeing with a 4 year old. It was so nice to get away, even if only for a day. We mostly have done the tourist thing in D.C. so it's was great to see other parts of the area that are not so busy!

It has been wonderful to have Lee home and done with school for a short time. We are looking forward to doing some more relaxing and day trips!

House re do

2011-06-04T19:47:00.003-05:00

One of the reasons I have not posted much on our blog was spring yard work. Most of you know we are renting the house we are in here in MD. It has been a rental for several years so the yard has taken a back seat. We all love being outside, and the yard was awful in my mind. I hated being outside. So we spent a lot of time and muscle moving plants, cement blocks, mulch and so on until the yard was livable.

This was the front of our house before. . . .

. . and after

Side of the house before. . .

and after.

The back of the house before. . . .

and after.

It's a big improvement and we enjoy being outside now. We didn't want to spend to much money since it's not ours and and we will have to leave this hard work behind, but it's worth it for the time we are here.

Jake's Fourth Birthday

2011-06-04T19:43:00.001-05:00

Jake is officially a big boy. We celebrated his 4th birthday with just us this year. It was nice to have him all to our self. One of his (and our) favorite gifts was the Lego's. Fun for hours and hours.

Another favorite gift was from aunt Phyllis. She made this one of a kind name drawing for Jake. We LOVE it. I am taking orders for anyone interested!

One of Jake's favorite gifts is the grocery store doorway that I made him to go along with his shopping cart. He loves to ring us up with his cash register and bag our groceries. Too cute!
To continue the celebration, we went to Build a Bear Workshop and Jake made his first ever bear. Well, he picked a bunny but it's the same idea. He got really into it. So cute. He even picked out a University of Maryland t-shirt for him. This place must make a fortune!
The cake. It looked better in the picture. It was so hot and humid the frosting basically melted and wouldn't hold the cupcakes up and we sort of had an avalanche on one side. Oh well, it tasted good.
Happy Birthday Jake!

How does your garden grow?

2011-06-04T19:39:00.002-05:00

Jake and I decided to grow a vegtable garden this summer. We ( Lee and I) moved about 100 cement blocks from around our yard to make 6 raised beds for the gardens. We have no idea why this house ever had the need for that many cement blocks. . . but we moved them to serve our purpose.

Jake is planting radish seeds in the picture above. We decided to plant most of the veggies from seeds so that Jake could see where food really comes from. I still think it's amazing to pull a radish out of the ground when only a few weeks ago it was a tiny seed.

This is a picture from Jake's perspective of his growing radishes.
This is about a week ago. The gardens are all planted. We've been eating radishes for weeks, along with leaf lettuce and spinach. We also have peas that are almost ready and a few red cherry tomatoes.
Jake with one of the first radishes. He was so proud. I have to say that having a garden has made it easier for us to get Jake to eat vegetables. He's willing to try it as long as it's come from the garden. What will we do in the winter?

Easter 2011

2011-06-04T19:37:00.001-05:00

We have had a very busy spring. Lee has finished out his spring semester and is happy to only have one class to attend to over the first summer session. Jake turned 4, finished school and soccer, and celebrated his favorite holiday. I have been trying to keep up with Jake and Lee and get some yard work done in between. I think we have finally reached the end of a busy spring and now it's time to catch up! And relax!

Jake with his Easter Basket. One left from the Easter bunny with the loot and the other to collect the eggs.

Jake finding the eggs. That Easter bunny if pretty tricky when it comes to hiding eggs! We played egg hunt for weeks before and after Easter. We are still finding a few rogue eggs.
Jake in his Sunday Easter best.
Family photo. Not bad for a picture taken on a tripod with a timer in our backyard. I made Lee do the running!

Cherry Blossoms

2011-04-08T12:53:00.009-05:00

Last weekend we took some time off from our busy schedules to go see the Cherry Blossoms in Washington D.C. Jake loves to take the metro (our subway), so we did even though it makes the commute longer. Sadly it's faster to drive and park. Not much of a selling point to me especially when it's not much cheaper either. But Jake loves to ride the metro, so we did. It's usually the highlight of our trip.
Jake checking out the view from the metro window.

This is just a small part of the cherry blossom walk. We did the smaller loop (2.5 miles or so) around the tidal basin. The walkway goes close to the water in most spots and the trees make a canopy of white and pink flowers over the walkers. Very pretty, but chilly the day we went with the wind off the water.
Beautiful blue sky.
Jake and Lee trying to stay warm and smile at the same time.
This is the only decent picture of the three of us. Jake was done with pictures after 10 minutes. The wind and shadows were against us. At least we have documentation we were all there.
Guess the president wanted to see too. These are two Marine One helicopters.
Enjoying the sun after our picnic lunch.
Jake and Lee walking on the path closest to the water. I kept wondering how many people have fallen in over the years.
Cherry blossoms up close.
The boys were tuckered out on the way home. It was a big outing for us with a lot of walking. Glad that we could enjoy the flowers as a family.

Lee is still busy with school finishing up his spring semester. 5 more weeks until finals and then summer classes. Jake is doing well at school and has his spring break next week. No big plans but we are hoping to get outside and start our vegetable garden. The weather has not been cooperating, but the weekend is looking promising. Jake also started soccer a few weeks ago. The kids are so adorable and clueless at the same time. I have wanted to get some pictures, but it's been freezing and on the verge of rain the past three Saturdays. Maybe next weekend we can capture some action shots!

Visit with Uncle Ricky and Aunt Kate

2011-02-28T12:26:00.004-06:00

My brother Ricky and his wife Kate stopped by on there way to my parents in SC this past weekend. And to stand with there tradition, they brought Jake his first big boy bike. Now he has a collection of blue Trek bikes thanks to his Uncle Ricky.

Jake was super excited to have a new bike, but equally as excited to put it together.

The whole gang getting ready to ride. Thanks for wearing your helmets everyone. Safety first at our household! Jake was still on his scoot bike at this point. We hadn't brought out the new bike yet.

Ricky, Kate and Jake. Come visit us again soon please!

The bikes first test run. Not so bad for the first time. We are thinking Jake will only need his training wheels for a short time. He can balance on the scoot bike with no feet, but now he has to pedal too. Fine with me, I guess it feels safer with the training wheels. Even though I know they too will come off. He is just getting so big! Three months and he will be four!

Staying Occupied in the Cold!

2011-02-20T19:36:00.003-06:00

So obviously this isn't a picture of Jake. The rest are, so no fear. We took the opportunity to go to the zoo this past Friday to enjoy the 75 degree weather. It was an awesome zoo day. All the animals were out. All of them. Jake and my favorite are the Panda bears. Jake kept asking me if they were real or fake. Sometimes I wonder too.

My friend Sara and I took our boys to a soft gym in the area. Imagine a big room with huge foam blocks, bridges, balls and a ball pit. They played an hour straight jumping and running. Jake was beat after!

They loved the ball pit. Funny how much static accumulated.

It's been a long winter for us warm blooded folks. We have had to find things to do indoors, so not to have to venture outdoors. I figured it was time for Jake to finger paint. He wasn't so sure at first, but then seemed to get the hang of it.

We got some really neat paintings and handprints. Although, I will be waiting for him to ask to paint again. I am not bringing it up.

Winter Fun

2011-02-18T16:08:00.003-06:00

We have had a few snow falls this winter and Jake loves the snow! I could live without it, but it is fun to watch Jake play. He has loved to make snow angels. This is one of his first.

And one of his first snowmen. Lee and Jake's friend Ethan helped to build it. They had so much fun sledding and playing.

This is a picture from the snow storm that put out the power to our house for 3 days! Fun for about the first 12 hours. Then not so much.
This is Jake's snow man bird feeder. The snow was very heavy and wet, so it stuck to everything. Note the branches on the ground from the trees.
Our yard had at least 10 large branches come down from the snow weight. Such a mess, but pretty for the first few hours.
More snow pictures.

I am hoping we have seen the last of the snow. It was a beautiful day Friday, close to 75 degrees. Such a tease since spring is still weeks away. But is was a start. I will be much happier when we can get outside and play without snow clothes!

Merry Christmas

2011-01-04T17:38:00.002-06:00

Christmas came with much anticipation this year. We pretended to wake up on Christmas morning for weeks and had to look in the stockings multiple times a day. Last year it took 3 days for Jake to open all his gifts. This year about 3 hours.
Jake is loving our fireplace as are we. He loves to pretend to put it out with his firetruck.
Everyone needs one Christmas family photo.
Jake loves to play with his new roadway from Santa.
How cute does he look here? He is trying on my mom's glasses to be funny, but I think they actually look good. Hopefully he never really needs them!

Gaylord National Harbor Hotel

2011-01-04T17:35:00.001-06:00

So we splurged and spent a night at the Gaylord National Harbor Hotel after the ICE exhibit. The hotel has a whole holiday extravaganza during the month of December. It "snows" twice a night and there are water fountain shows to Christmas music. You can order Christmas cookies and milk from room service (which we did, yummy!). This is a view of the atrium. It overlooks the Potomac river harbor. Very pretty, even in winter.
A view from our balcony on the 15th floor.

Jake being a trooper posing for pictures.

Jake turning the tables and taking our picture. Not bad huh? He actually does a really good job. We just need to give him a ladder to stand on so the perspective is a little better.
We had a really fun weekend and pan to do it again next year if any one want to join us!

ICE

2011-01-04T17:34:00.002-06:00

Lee has been on break for a few weeks and we have loved having him around more. We kicked up our holiday cheer the weekend before Christmas and went to ICE. It is a ice sculpture rendintion of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. It's hard to beleive that everything in there was made of ice.

Jake going down the giant ice slide. He refused to wear the blue coat that is given to us to wear so he had to scoot the whole way down. His pants stuck to the ice. Did I mention it was 9 degrees in the exhibit? We were there 30 minutes and I barely survived. Too cold for this former Floridian.
Jake wanted to try ice skating after the ICE exhibit, so we went. We basically dragged him around the rink. And when I say "we", I mean mostly Lee. Someone had to take the video. Jake couldn't stand at all, but he still had fun.
We plan to take up skating this winter. We'll see if we improve. It's been years since I've been on skates. I can feel the bruises already.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T10:52:00.004-06:00

Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving. We are staying home enjoying our time together and plan to eat a lot of turkey and desserts. Jake made this hat at school and wanted to share.

I hope that this video works. I have been having problems uploading it. It's Jake dancing to the Rockettes during the Macy's Day Parade. Don't mind the perspective and poor quality of video. We have to record him on the sly or he stops. Guess he's shy like his mommy.

National Zoo

2010-11-17T07:12:00.004-06:00

We took advantage of the last warm day of fall to go to the Zoo. Jake and I had been there with friends, but Lee hadn't been yet. Jake had the best time. He never has been very excited over the zoo, but he loved seeing all the animals and taking their pictures with his camera.

Who could resist putting there child in this? Not us!

We opted to keep this one behind glass and our child far away.

One of the best lions I've seen in captivity. So regal. He kept looking out at the crowd. Wonder what they think all day?

Pictures with the parents. Jake cooperated for about 5 minutes. He does not have the patience for having his picture taken at all. Who blames him after 3 years of it?

Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving. No big plans for us. Just staying home and having a relaxing day before I have to work all weekend. At least I'm not working the holiday!

Happy Halloween

2010-11-05T15:03:00.003-05:00

Jake decided to be a ghost this year for halloween. But obviously that wasn't what we went with. Jake's school in located in a church, so instead of celebrating Halloween, they celebrate Harvest instead. (whatever floats their boat) So the kids couldn't dress up in "scary" costumes for school. And I wasn't making two costumes. So we started looking in magazines for ideas. Jake saw a bee costume in Pottery Barn Kids and he said " I want to be a bee with candy!" The girl was wearing the costume with the bee basket full of candy. We had to explain to Jake that the candy didn't come with the costume. Cute really. So we went to Pottery Barn and took a look at the costume. I was fully planning on buying it premade this year for ease, but after one look at the quality and price tag I said forget it. Lee proclaimed later he knew I would end up making it. I did break down and buy the basket and wings. There's only so much time in a day.

So Jake was a bee with candy this year. He was so stinking cute.

He LOVED trick or treating. What kid doesn't? We went to 7 houses in our neighborhood and he said he was ready to go home.

We didn't argue. This much candy looks like a jackpot to a 3 year old with a mother who limits sugar!

Hope everyone had a Happy Halloween! Bzzzzz!

Getting Ready for Halloween

2010-11-05T14:49:00.002-05:00

This year Jake and I went to a real pumpkin patch. I know it's not such a big thing for most of you, but unheard of in FL, so we were excited. Of course it rained the entire day before we went, so it was extra muddy for us. Still, we had a good time. Jake's preschool class went as well. It seems like a right of passage in Preschool. Separation from parents, check. Interact with others, check. Follow the rules, check. Pumpkin patch, check.

Jake picked out his very own and my pumpkin. He was very selective. We also got to pick popcorn. That was a fun adventure when we got home. We had corn kernels all over the house since I let Jake help take them off the cob prior to popping. All in all, a great success!

We also made halloween cookies. Jake is a very good helper and did quite a good job cutting out and frosting them.

Ghost with blue frosting and chocolate chip eyes.

Jake ate his share of frosting. When he thought I wasn't looking he'd put spoonfuls into his mouth. Who can blame him?

Our masterpieces!

Fall Fun

2010-10-10T19:18:00.002-05:00

It's been very busy around the Janssen household lately. I started my new job at the National Institute of Health. I just had an almost two week hospital orientation to attend and now I am working more "normal" shifts. Back to my 4-5 shifts a month. It has been quite an adjustment for Jake seeing I've been with him almost everyday for the last 6 months. Lee's mom came out and helped with Jake so I could attend the orientation. We couldn't have done it without her! Just when I think it's about to get calmer and we will have more time, something comes up. I am ready for my boring, hum-drum life again!

So the following pictures are a few of what we've been up to. Jake loves to play doctor. He was all dressed up ready to give his friend Ethan a check up here.

We took a day and went sightseeing with Grandma Janssen to the Mall. I forget we live so close to all of this. We've been to a few museums and walked around the monuments, but there is still so much to explore.

Apple picking, sort of. Apple buying more like it, since this place doesn't let you actually pick apples, but we took the photo op any way.

Well maybe just one won't hurt!

We've been to the park tons lately. The weather has been beautiful and we love getting outside. Jake has become a slide expert as of late and still thinks it's funny when his hair gets static electricity. He was recovering from a bad haircut here. It's actually fixed in this photo. Yikes. Finally it's growing back.

We have Jake's first field trip to the pumpkin patch this week and a yard sale planned for this weekend. I will be glad to get rid of some of our junk. Hope all is well out there!

First Day of Pre-School

2010-09-09T13:58:00.002-05:00

Today was Jake's first day of Pre-School! It arrived with mixed emotions. It was the first time Jake was away from us and in the hands of strangers. Talk about emotional day!

Before school pictures. Jake was being silly for the camera. He was excited for school even though he wouldn't admit it. He has been planning what to pack in his new back pack for weeks.

Jake at his school. He was happy playing with play dough until I said I had to leave. Then it was a wrestling match to pry him off of me and hand him over to the teacher. It was so hard to leave him, but the teacher called me soon after to let me know he was doing great. He only cried for a few minutes and was having a blast. Phew! What a relief . . . .until next week.

Our House

2010-09-07T14:48:00.002-05:00

This is the house we are renting in Maryland. I am only showing you it from this distance because the landscaping is horrendous. Or lack that of landscaping I should say. I promise close ups later of what we are currently working on.

The house looks really small, but it's almost 2200 square feet because the entire basement is refinished. Great hardwood floors and quirky details that can drive a perfectionist crazy, but it works. As you can see, it has a great yard. Almost 2 acres and a huge driveway that loops around. Tons of bike riding space. Can you tell we rented this with Jake in mind?

The boys relaxing with the deer. We have TONS of them. They are so tame it's unnatural. The other day I saw 8 babies on my front lawn with several adults. This is probably why the landscaping is so poor. They graze on anything. We are determined to find plants that they will not eat. I'm taking any suggestions!
I think this pictures captures the mindset our deer population. She almost looks perturbed that I am taking her picture. They definitely own this area. They are everywhere. Instead of stray cats, we have deer. Guess it could be worse.
More to come!

We're Back!

2010-09-07T14:15:00.004-05:00

I know that there are many of you patiently waiting for a new post. So here it is! We have had a crazy past 7 weeks moving and unpacking. Some of you have heard the drama unfold and others a brief recap. Before we start all that, lets start with some picture before we left South Carolina.

Jake and his peach. We dragged my parents on a Fun Family Friday outing to the peach farm. Don't worry Mom and Dad, I spared the pictures of you from this post. From that day on, every peach we eat Jake thinks it's this one that he picked. Who's to argue if he's eating fruit!

Jake at the Children's Park in Greenville, SC. Doesn't he look so sweet?

Gigantic Winnie the Pooh. I have a few others of Jake in front of this from other visits that I should post to show how much he's grown. . . . maybe later.

Jake the photogher. This is one of the best purchases we have made for Jake. He loves taking pictures and they download to our computer. He takes some interesting ones, key is to get them on the computer before he deletes them.

Stay tuned for some more pictures. I have to do this when Jake is napping or asleep. Doesn't give me mush time since he is down to one nap a week. He falls asleep out of pure exhaustion.

Children's Museum

2010-06-30T13:43:00.006-05:00

When Lee was with us last month, Jake and I took him to the Children's Museum in Greenville, S.C. Such a cool place. We love it almost as much as Jake. The Museum does a great job keeping areas separate for little ones. Otherwise, Jake gets trampled by running preteens. One of my pet peeves for another blog.

Jake is building a house here in case you couldn't figure it out. He so wants one of these cranes at our house. I think Lee is scheming to build one as we speak. Jake could pedal and the whole thing spins and then he lowers the hook. Hours of entertainment.

More pictures of the Construction Zone. You can almost hear him thinking, "How does this thing work?"

Since we are and equal opportunity family, Jake also enjoys making tea. One lump or two?

And here is Jake milking a cow. Sort of weird, it actually squirts milk (water) into a bucket. They had a whole farm area for toddlers which was so fun for Jake. . . .

. . . and Lee. He is trying to figure out how to get the eggs from the chickens into the basket. Jake is busy harvesting carrots.

The Museum has a great area for playing doctor. Very cool x-ray pictures and heart explanations. They also have this enormous stomach that you can walk in with all the appropriate sounds of a digestive system. Use your imagination. The kids loved it. Maybe Jake will follow in Lee's footsteps one day and be a doctor.

Lastly, there is this 3 story climbing structure in the middle of the museum. Jake was too young to go on it when I took him. Darn. Hint of sarcasm. But know that he is 3, he can go on. I went to the bathroom and when I came out I saw this. Way to make a mothers heart skip a beat Lee! Jake loved it. There is also a path through the middle for kids in wheelchairs, which I thought was a great idea. I'm afraid next time we go, it's going to be me in there with Jake.

I thought I would add a quick movie of Jake playing with the crane. He was getting pretty good at the end.

My Sweet Boy. . .

2010-06-17T07:50:00.003-05:00

Isn't Jake sweet? So innocent, right? Look at all these adorable pictures, then check out the last two.

We were returning home from a trip to the store. Jake was such a good kid when I was shopping we bought him a new pen for his "office". Lee called on our way home and Jake continued to be so quiet and well behaved. We get home and I open the door to get him out of his car seat and I find this. He looks at me like" What?"

A little soap and water is all it took to take his artwork off. The pen is now in my office!

I'm Three!

2010-06-07T13:30:00.003-05:00

Jake had his 3rd birthday almost a month ago. Where does time go? We were able to celebrate Jake's birthday twice this year. Once in MN on his actual birthday and once at my parents house. Twice the cake, presents and attention. Who can ask for anything more?

My mom made Jake a red pick up truck just like his daddy's. Definite winner.

And Lee's mom made him a Thomas the Train cake. Again winner! Jake loves cake. Just like his mother!

Opening gifts. Jake usually doesn't care about the cards, but not this one. It sings! What a pleasant surprise for him. Maybe it will make him want to open cards. Probably not.

Playing with the goods. He is so spoiled. Thank you everyone for your thoughtful gifts. Jake really loved them all!

South Carolina State Parks

2010-05-23T14:05:00.003-05:00

Some more of our outdoor adventures. We went to Table Rock State park and Caesars Head State park recently. Jake loves to look at the mountains and feel the cool water. So pretty and relaxing. There was nothing like this in Florida!

Lee and Jake at Caesar's Head overlook. It was such a beautiful clear day!

Jake and I at Caesar's Head. Jake actually has a real smile. Not his cheesy-fake-enough-already smile.

We were driving back down the very windy mountain road when I demanded we stop so we could take a picture of the spring. There are several along the roads for people to fill their water bottles. Pure mountain spring water. No plastic bottle included!

Another water fall. They are just everywhere here. Jake loves to touch the cold water.

More adventures ahead!

End of April to Beginning of May

2010-05-21T07:41:00.004-05:00

We have had a very busy and relaxing past month since neither Lee or I have been working. You can tell we tired Jake out. I found him this way when I checked on him before we went to bed. How adorable!

Some of the things we have been doing have taken us outside. We have explored a nature trail in one of the parks downtown.

Learned about the flora and fauna.

And checked out the wildlife. Well, close enough to wildlife right?

Jake pretended to be be a monkey. . .

and a mountain climber.

Lastly we took a trip to the Zoo. Since the animals didn't want to eat our very bland crackers they sell you at the entrance, Jake did. And he very willingly shared them with Lee. How nice!

More to come on our trip to Minnesotta and buliding project at my parents.

Keeping Busy!

2010-04-22T16:22:00.005-05:00

Jake had a great Easter. We think it's his favorite holiday so far. We are still hiding Easter eggs inside and out.

Often times we go to the park and have a picnic and then play on the playground. It's so nice to be able to get outside and have it not be too hot. Soon enough it will be hot so we might as well get it in now.

We even dragged my parents to the park for a walk. Greenville has a beautiful park system that follows this river. We have enjoyed exploring it.

Jake and another train. He was not cooperating for this picture at all.

Jake helping Grandpa rinse our truck. So much pollen this year!

The grandparents.

Jake has mastered balancing on his kick bike. No training wheels for this kiddo! He is now required to wear a helmet at all times when on the bike. If I could just get him to wear protective pads on the rest of him. Just kidding. . . sort of.

Lee has made it back to us finally. Jake is so thrilled to have him home as well as I am. On the to next phase of our move!

Spring!

2010-04-06T13:41:00.002-05:00

Spring is here! As well as warm weather. It is suppose to be 90 degrees here today as I write this! Yikes. Jake is having a blast outside riding his bike, feeding the birds and squirrels, and playing in his sandbox. I thought I would take a moment to take some pictures out in the sun.

Checking out the daffodils. He kept putting one to his ear and talking into another like a phone. I don't know where he gets it from?

Our handsome little boy. Can't believe he is going to be 3 next month.

He was in need of a haircut here, so we went the next day. It is so short now I am longing for it to grow again and look like this again. I just love this style. It just needed a trim and clean up, but I guess I don't know how to explain it to the new person we went to. A job for Daddy when he comes home. He's still pretty darn cute though!

Children's Museum

2010-04-06T09:06:00.000-05:00

Jake and I went to Greenville's Children's Museum recently and had a blast. We literally spent all morning there. The museum is brand new and so cool. I think I had as much fun as Jake did.

Rocking out to a recycled dino.

Playing in the water table. It was a replica of the river hat runs through Greenville.

Garage band, literally. Musical instruments made out of tools and things you would find in a garage. Jake loved it, we could have stayed in here for hours.

More water table fun. They actually had a section for really little kids to sit in like a high chair and play independently. So cool!

Build your own race car.

Creating random artwork out of pool noodles.

Can't wait to go again. I am going to have to drag my parents. They say they don't want to go, but I think they would have as much fun as Jake!

Happy Easter

2010-03-29T16:54:00.002-05:00

I'm not sure where the tradition of taking pictures with the Easter Bunny originated, but Jake decided to partake after a 1 year hiatus. He has his super fake smile on (which I adore) and enjoyed the candy and bunny ears he was given. We had spent the morning shopping for sneakers unsuccessfully and thought this would be a fun way to end the morning. The picture quality isn't great since I scanned it into the computer, but I thought I would share it. Hope every one has a nice Easter. Happy egg hunting!

Yikes

2010-03-13T13:07:00.002-06:00

I had to post these pictures. This is a window in my parents kitchen where they have a large bird feeder outside. At first all I could see was a smudge and I couldn't figure out why my parents hadn't cleaned the window. Then I took a closer look. A bird flew right into the window leaving a distinct impression.

The bird reportedly flew away unharmed.

Moving Day

2010-03-13T12:58:00.002-06:00

This is what our house looked like prior to the movers coming to take our things away to storage. Mountains of boxes everywhere. It was startling to wake up in the morning to towers of boxes around our bed! Not to mention to 2 am trip to the bathroom that proved difficult.

Jake was great through it all. He enjoyed finding lost puzzle pieces and blocks, magazines and old cat toys as the movers took our things. Jake was so good and we think has some understanding of what's going on and why we are living at his grandparents.
We are halfway through our separation with Lee and are looking forward to his return! Yeah!

Panama City Children's Museum

2010-03-06T06:41:00.004-06:00

One of the last days before Lee left for RI we all went to the local Children's Museum. Jake really has a good time and it's usually empty. They were sporting the latest in boat safety. We especially like the camouflage print.

This is a few minutes of Jake and Lee "fishing" out of the boat. So funny. Jake really liked this section and I think Lee did too!

This is a bit dark, but this room has lights on the floor and when you step on them they play different notes of a piano.

Lastly this is the musicians of the family playing on the "pipe organ" with very large flip flops. And then some water play with sound waves. It shocked Jake a bit the first time it splashed.

We are hoping to go to the Children's Museum here in SC soon. It's brand new and looks pretty cool. The things we look forward to after we have children.

Movies, Movies, Movies!

2010-02-24T13:44:00.003-06:00

I wanted to post a few movies of Jake doing everyday things. The first is him obviously riding his bike. We drew some roads on the driveway and he drives around them. Sometimes he jumps off for a swing at the park. He has such a good imagination.

Jake likes to help us vacuum. We caught him in the act of singing while he works. He was belting it out for 2 minutes before we got the camera.

Here is our budding musician. He is pretty good at the guitar don't you think? He's only broken 1 string so far.

Here are just a few to get started. I hope to post some more soon.

Train Table

2010-02-24T13:34:00.002-06:00

For Christmas Jake had been asking for a train table. A Thomas table actually. So many of you know our old house was small and we had no where to put a train table. They are actually quite big. So we decided Lee could build one to fit under Jake's bed. Another midnight project for Lee! Note the spot lights in the backyard. I don't think it was midnight, but what a trooper for going out in the dark and cold to build Jake a table.

It obviously wasn't a surprise for Jake that we were building a table, so we let him help out.
Although we did let it be a surprise that Santa's Elves came to Grandma's house to paint the top especially for him. Thanks again Auntie Phyllis and Grandma! We don't even need trains on it to play for hours. Jake plays with the table almost every day, so it rarely makes it under the bed to store it. But at least the options there. Thanks again to Lee, Phyllis and Grandma for all your hard work.

Christmas 2009

2010-01-20T16:26:00.001-06:00

I know it's about 2 months late, but here are a few pictures from Christmas. We spent Christmas with my parents, brother and his wife and my aunt at my parents in South Carolina again this year. We thought Jake would be really excited about Santa and gifts, but we were dead wrong. He was most concerned about the cookie we left for Santa and if it was eaten. It took us 3 days to finish opening his gifts. Next year we only are getting him one.

By far his favorite gift was the train table that Lee built. Jake had seen the table, but not the finished product. Phyllis and my mom painted the top with scenery. Better than any you can buy for sure!

Jake explaining to Grandma how his new camera works.

Think he's figured it out here.

Who can pass down a game of Hungry Hippo with Uncle Ricky and Aunt Kate? Not Jake or Lee! We were again very spoiled and had a wonderful Christmas. Thanks again to everyone.

Disney Part 1

2010-01-20T16:22:00.001-06:00

We were lucky enough to take a second trip to Disney in the beginning of December. We were only there for 2 days, but enjoyed every minute. Again, Jake's favorite characters were Chip and Dale. We had to stop and see them every time we saw them.

This was a totally cool playground from the movie Honey I Shrunk the Kids. The kids loved being able to run around freely and play without parents hovering. It was the only place I felt we couldn't lose Jake in the crowd.
Jake has this truck in his size so we had to get a picture. Actually he was a little upset that he couldn't climb on it. There was an employee standing guard so we couldn't even sneak a picture.
Jake and Lee wearing the 3D glasses for the Toy Story ride. Probably Jake's favorite. I have to admit it was a cool ride.
One of Jake's favorite things are trains, so when the hotel lobby had one around the tree, we didn't even need to leave the hotel. Problem was other kids kept playing with it and taking it off the tracks. So every time Jake wanted to see the train, it wasn't working. The front desk gave Lee the go ahead to fix it, so that's what they did. Several times a day. Another one of those times when the hotel was just as fun as the fun reason we were staying there.

Disney Part 2

2010-01-20T14:42:00.004-06:00

While Lee was riding the Tower of Terror, Jake and I took a snack break. I think Jake was a little surprised that I let him get a cookie that big. Hey when your in Disney you have to live a little. Plus we could run the sugar high off as the day went on.

This hug was totally unexpected. We were in the lobby of our hotel waiting for Lee when Jake went up to Mickey and gave him a big hug. So cute!
Jake and I in the Swiss Family Robinson tree. He was so not in the mood for a photo, but it turned out cute anyway. The tree was one of my favorite parts of Disney from when I was a child.
Jake and Lee on the Dumbo ride. This was the only ride we actually had to wait for. Jake loved it and wanted to go on it again and again, but we weren't waiting in that line again!
The Janssen family in front of the Christmas tree at Magic Kingdom. We had a great trip. It was a lot of fun and more memories were made. Problem is Jake must think families go to Disney all the time since we've been twice this year!

Holiday Baking

2010-01-15T14:03:00.001-06:00

For all of you looking for Christmas pictures, we are getting close. Here are a few of us baking some holiday goodies. Jake was a really big help this year. Well, lets say it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. Check out that gingerbread man! I applied the icing and he had the executive decision on the candy to apply to it. Not bad for 2!

We skipped the gingerbread house last year so had to make one this year. And of course it was a train. What else would a 2 year old boy want! This is a quick shot of Jake telling me about his candy car.

and him telling me about the pastry bag filled with sugar icing to apply all the candy. We both ate our weight in candy that day!

The finished project! I now remember why we skipped last year!

My favorite care was the lumber car. Jake called it the pipe car since most of the trains near us carry very large pipes.

Jake and Lee did a very good job not eating the train. I only found 3 m&m's missing and that wasn't until after Christmas even!

Baby it's cold outside!

2010-01-15T13:54:00.002-06:00

Well it's cold by Florida's standards! It was 18 degrees the other morning. This is the first year Jake will actually wear gloves. I think these little cotton gloves are the cutest. Jake had to show them off. This picture was before the cold snap hit. We haven't been outside much since then.

These are a few of Captain Jake in our backyard. He loves this play gym for he steering wheel and telescope you can't see through. He will yell "trim the sails!" and "walk the plank!". I have to respond with "Aye Aye captain Jake!" My neighbors must think we're weird.

So this is obviously a much better steering wheel. We were doing some Christmas shopping when Lee and Jake spotting this in the play area. I think every shopping mall should have a kids playground. For all our sakes!
Stay posted for more. I am finally getting caught up after Christmas and planning our move.

Lighten Up!

2009-12-08T15:11:00.005-06:00

Jake and I went to Hobby Lobby yesterday to get a few last minute Christmas do-dads, wrapping paper and ornaments. I was on a mission to find what I needed and only what I needed. When I turned around from looking at some ornaments I see this. Jake had taken this decoration off the shelf and decided it would look better on him! I have to agree. Lighten up everyone, it's Christmas! Try and remember to have a good time and not get too stressed or overloaded. That was Jake's lesson for the day!

It's snowing in Florida. . .

2009-12-02T14:24:00.002-06:00

Well, on my blog from Florida. As you can see I once again changed our template and added snow and music. I've got to enjoy snow somehow! Feel free to turn off the music. It's at the bottom of the screen. I won't always torture you with music, but I needed some holiday spirit. I'm just not feeling it yet.

Yeah for Lee!

2009-12-02T13:43:00.004-06:00

I know that this is a little late, but I didn't want to post anything official until we had some more details. As many of you know Lee was accepted to the Seaman to Admiral program which allows him to stay active duty Navy and go to school full-time. He was accepted into the Medical Corp option, so he will be off to med school in 3 or so years. He first has to finish his bachelor's degree which he has been working on for the past year. Now he can devote his undivided attention to school and me. Ok, school. Lee has to go the the Navy Science Institute for 9 weeks in Newport, R.I. starting in mid February. During that time Jake and I will be living in PCB still. We would love to go for the whole 9 weeks, but financially it's too expensive. So we are up for visitors and trips during that time. I won't be working and we will need something to keep us busy! After that we will move to where ever Lee gets accepted to undergraduate school. He is looking at schools in the Washington D.C. area. We will know more about what school he gets into after the holidays. Lee was 1 out of 2 people Navy wide that applied to this program to get accepted. We are so PROUD of Lee and all his accomplishments, but especially this one. Someday soon you can call Lee. . . Dr. Janssen!

Getting Outside, finally!

2009-12-02T13:31:00.002-06:00

The weather has been so nice lately and we have been outside as much as possible. Of course as I am writing this it has been raining for 24 hours, but it's not usually like this. These are a few pictures from my phone and I had to adjust the color on some, so don't mind the grainy appearance of a few.

Jake and I met a friend and her child at a new park we hadn't been to. The boys were fast friends and played for hours. Jake is 9 months older, but seemed to like his role as leader.

Jake standing in his wagon. Don't worry, I don't think I can tip it over, let alone Jake. It's very sturdy. I think Jake was pretending to drive it using the handle as a brake.
Jake taking a look at my jumbo elephant ears. There were some almost as big as he was mid- summer.

This old beach ball has been inflated in our backyard for years. It never gets put away, just

rolls around the yard. We find it in some strange places after a storm and only once did it escape from our fenced in yard. I think it is going to have to stay with the house when we move.
Hope everyone is ready for Christmas! Only 23 days left!

Big Boy Bed

2009-11-22T19:38:00.002-06:00

We have been dreading this day for years. Jake has officially been transitioned to a toddler bed. Another step away from baby and towards big boy! Lee and I definitely are not ready, but Jake is so excited! He had to help take the front off of the crib which turns into a toddler bed. Voila! Glad we were thinking ahead with that purchase.

Jake taking a test drive. We haven't stained the railing in this picture yet, but you get the idea. Jake has done so well adjusting to this bed. He has figured out he can get out by himself (Darn!) but only seems to get stuffed animals. We think that's it. When we check on him after we put him to bed, he will have taking every animal in his room into bed with him. Pretty funny to see him asleep on top of them all. We then have to carefully remove all of them to there spots in the room.
Since the transition Jake has started waking up at 5:30 in the morning. He never slept much past 6:30, but this is too early. We hope he soon starts sleeping in, so we can too!

Tweaking

2009-11-12T14:28:00.003-06:00

And no I haven't resorted to drugs yet, but I have been doing some updates to our blog. It's taking me a while, but I'm getting there. My friend Sara is a genius and figured out how to put our Amazon Wish List button on there. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I was doing the stupidest thing wrong of course. It was so frustrating! You'll notice only my button has a list. That's because I want everyone to buy me the gifts this year! Just kidding. I didn't want to make lists for everyone if it wasn't going to work. And I have added links to our favorite blogs. I hope to be adding some links to our favorite websites and add some music and some more movies. Just lets hope I find some time. Thanks for your patience and many thanks to Sara for the tech support!

Real Fall!

2009-11-10T14:05:00.003-06:00

As I posted previously, we spent the last weekend in October in New Hampshire. It was really fall there! No fake pumpkin patches or fake fall leaves, real ones! What a joy! Lee and I really miss fall the most living in Florida, so we took it all in. We went to a park and played with Jake. He actually had to wear a coat!

Jake loved the way the leaves sounded when he walked on them. Funny the things you take for granted as an adult. We don't notice the sounds the leaves make anymore. Jake helps remind us of things like that often.

Look Mom, leaves!

Close up of our cutie in his stylish pea coat!

Jake, Lee and Pablo. This was the only way I could get him to smile. Pablo had to be in the picture. It is getting tough to take pictures of Jake. I have to start bribing him and see if that works!

We miss New England already. I don't miss having to wear a coat, but the scenery is most definitely missed!

My Brother is Married!

2009-11-10T07:57:00.003-06:00

Halloween weekend we flew to N.H. for my brother's wedding. It was a wonderful fall weekend. We loved the weather and being able to visit with everyone. Jake had a blast being the center of attention as ring bearer. He really took his job serious! He did a great job! I was a little worried with his being on the shy side, but he proved me wrong.

This is my brother Ricky and Jake on the trolley that took everyone to the wedding. It was a gorgeous day and an equally beautiful wedding.

The happy couple Ricky and Kate. Aren't they cute? Congratulations and may you have many years of wedded bliss ahead of you!

Fall is Here!

2009-10-16T13:49:00.005-05:00

It has officially been Fall for weeks, but only today actually feels like it. We are so glad to be able to have the windows and go outside without sweating buckets! Yeah! As you probably noticed I changed our blog template again. This website has some really cool designs so it's easy to get carried away. Here is a few new pictures of what we've been up to.

This is at my parent's in S.C. Well, not at their house, but at a park near their house. Jake wouldn't leave if they had this train at their house! It's hard to see, but Lee and I are in the train cars as well.

The little Engineer hard at work. Jake loves trains, as most little boys do. He whistles and chugs, it's so adorable. Lee might have to start planning to build one of these at our house!

Until we have a bigger yard and Lee builds Jake his own train, we made Jake his own engine and cars with some boxes. He LOVES it. We decorated them with paper and markers. Jake makes Lee and I sit in the two smaller boxes. We haven't gotten a chance to be the engineer yet!

Jake loves to make things, anything. With a little help from me, we made a pumpkin and abstract mixed media print. I think we have budding talent in our family!
We are heading to N.H. in a few weeks for my brothers wedding. Jake is going to be the ring bearer. He is so cute in his tuxedo. I can't wait to post some pictures from the wedding. I am sure Ricky and Kate will look great too! Looking forward to it!

Daddy's little helper

2009-09-30T14:58:00.003-05:00

Since I have to sleep during the day when I work on the weekends, Lee is always finding things for Jake and him to do to get out of the house so I can have some quiet. Which is much appreciated! On Saturdays, they go to Lowes and do a building clinic aimed at kids. They build school buses, fire trucks and this day a drum. I am told they have a lot of fun and Jake is always very proud of himself. I think Lee enjoys it as much as Jake.

The next two I have to laugh at. Lee was cutting out some Halloween decorations and the heat has been unbearable. I left for a few minutes and I come back to this. Both of my boys shirtless. As if it's not bad enough one is! Jake always wants to be just like his daddy. Lee thought Jake would end up less dirty. How do you figure? Instead of sawdust on a shirt, it ends up all over the child. Oh well, they had fun.
Jake showing off his jig saw skills along with Lee. They are working on the witch and cats that we put in our front yard. The witch was very warped so Lee decided to cut another. Just last night I was looking through a magazine and they are selling these now for over 200 bucks. Crazy! Glad we decided to make them a few years ago.
Today is the first day we opened the windows. . . for 2 hours at least. It is still pretty hot, but starting to cool off. I can't wait for fall!

Disney Trip

2009-09-16T14:36:00.004-05:00

I do this ever time I can't fit all of our pictures into one post. The first one is below explaining our trip. This is the continuation of the previous one. I can't seem to remember that they post latest first. So skip ahead and work backwards. Sorry.

We loved the hotel we stayed at. We wished we had more time to relax and enjoy it, but we did make it to the pool a few times. Jake loved it. It had a zero entry so he could walk in and a mini water slide he would still be doing if we didn't have to leave! He could do it by himself, which is a huge plus for him.

An up close picture of a rhino on the expedition we went on. We got to see some pretty neat animals, but Lee still thinks they are robots. There were no fences between us and them, and they are suppose to be wild. Although we did go about 30 mph over some rough bumps so maybe we were suppose to out run them. I think they're drugged.
Jake found it so thrilling he fell asleep. Must have been the bumps. This is the only the second time he has fallen asleep when we've been out. The no napping finally got the best of him. Of course it only lasted for 20 minutes.
And by the time Jake woke up, Ethan fell asleep. Although it was for a marathon 3 hour nap!
Lastly, Jake could see this balloon from our hotel. He would announce when it was up or down. He kept asking to go in it, so we finally did the last day. It is filled with helium and tethered to the ground. I goes up 400 ft over a few minutes. I think Lee was excited as Jake. It wasn't scary at all. Great views of our hotel and Epcot.

Lastly, I had to include a meeting with Chip and Dale. So cute. I think Jake might think they're dogs. We don't have chipmunks in our neighborhood, so it's tough to explain to a 2 year old. Who cares, he's happy.

We had such a great time. We have a two days left on our tickets and might go back. We'll see if we have the energy. It was so great to visit with our friends and hope to see them again soon.

We miss you!

Janssen/Stein Disney Trip

2009-09-16T14:12:00.002-05:00

We took our first trip to Disney with our great friends Sara, Ansel and Ethan! It was so much fun. The boys had a lot of fun together and visiting the parks. We did a lot with boys and they did a great job. Jake decided there would be no napping, except when he was so tired he passed out. You'll see an example later. But, besides that, it was all fun.

He loved Chip and Dale! So funny because until then, he had no idea who they were. We had to stop at both parks we went to to see them. Which is no small feat! I hadn't been to Disney in over 20 years, but in my day the characters just walked around. Now you have to stand in line. Guess it makes sense.

This is all of us on our first day. We went to Epcot for a few hours. It was a great start. Jake refers to this as the "big ball park". Make's sense. Oh yeah, and Jake decided he would not, and I mean would not, look at the camera for any pictures. Lovely! So most of our pictures are of his profile.

We kept telling Jake we were going to stay at Mickey's house. So he was happy when we finally got to meet him. The photographer got some better ones, but this is the best I had. You'd think they knew the pictures they take are astronomically overpriced. We have to buy one of theirs to get a decent picture of the event.
This was probably one of Jake's favorite rides. We stayed on twice one time when it was slow. Doesn't he know their are carousals everywhere? We're at Disney! What about Dumbo or It's a Small World? Well, he did like that one too, but not as much as the horses. Yet again trying to make Jake look at the camera.
It's tough work this Disney thing. Especially when Mom pushes me around. I think this was the first vacation ever that I lost weight! I bet we walked 10 miles a day.

Out and About

2009-08-05T18:50:00.007-05:00

Jake had an eye appointment in Tallahassee a few weeks ago and they dilated his eyes. They gave him these cool glasses to wear outside. I never thought he would wear them. Who new they made them this small! Appointment went well and we don't need to see him for another year.

Since we in Tallahassee, we thought we would take advantage of the city. We went to a science museum to run off some steam stored up from the 2 hour car ride. Jake sat still for about 30 seconds and I happened to capture it on film. Although I then noticed the sign not to take pictures in the ancient Asian kite exhibit. Oops.
This is an exhibit about bees. Jake wasn't too impressed, but I thought it was cool. There is an opening in the window so the bees come and go from the museum.
We tried to go to the beach this day, but by the clouds in the background you can see we didn't stay long. Oh well, it was still an adventure.

Caught in the act. Jake has never been one to climb on things. . .until now. He thinks this is his own personal ladder.

This is a short video of Jake's version on the ABC song. He can actually do it much better, but tends to be a bit silly for the camera. I am still amazed that he has learned this already.

Staying Cool!

2009-08-05T18:37:00.002-05:00

Jake had his first swimming lessons a few weeks ago. We weren't sure how he would do, but we knew he liked the water. He had his off days, but mostly enjoyed it. Jake learned how to blow bubbles and get his face wet, kick and float on his back. He even got to jump off the diving board. He enjoyed swimming back and forth to us and the instructor.

Jake's certificate and reward for a job well done. It took us 2 days to get all the blue off his face.
Lee had a retirement ceremony at work and we met him after for lunch. I needed to get a picture in his dress whites. He doesn't have many opportunities to wear them.
Do you think Jake has watched Lee work on the truck or change oil recently? The chair needed to be "fixed" and get an oil change as well. Hard work! I love the leg up on the knee.

Summer Fun

2009-07-09T14:08:00.002-05:00

We have been keeping busy this summer with traveling, playgrounds and hanging out at home. Here are a few pictures of us from the summer so far.

I think Lee has as much fun, if not more, than Jake when we go to the playground. We just wish it wasn't so hot! We can only be out there for 10 minutes before we are drenched in sweat. Not fun for long, but a great time before we have heat stroke. You know its hot when a 2 year old wants to go inside!

Jake got a huge kick out of catching daddy. He is becoming so independent! He gets so mad when we try or have to help. Toddlers!
We have been lucky enough to go out on our neighbors boat a few times. A wonderful way to stay cool. Jake is loving it this year. He was a little too young last year, but loves it all this year.
This is a random sunflower that grew from our birdseed that fell onto the ground this summer. Jake had to take a picture as well.
You can't have summer without an ice cream cone. We just let him go at it. He had such a fun time eating it. And it was fun to watch him eat it. He was a drippy, sticky mess.
Hope everyone had a great Fourth of July weekend and are having a great summer. Stay cool!

More Minnesota Pictures

2009-06-30T15:26:00.002-05:00

Merle thought I was crazy for photographing this old grain barn, but I think it's a great picture. The barn was used to dry and store corn before the new metal silos.

Lee, Spencer and Jake at Lake Okaboji, IA shopping. Well, at least sitting while I shopped. Men!
Great Grandpa Obermoller, Lee and Jake. It was nice to be able to spend so much time with everyone. We had a very relaxed visit.
Jake in the wheel of Great Grandpa's tractor. I think I need to frame this one! Grandpa also gave Jake a ride in his new tractor.
The is Jake standing on the wheel of a Combine. I don't think I spelled that right, but it's a very large machine that harvests the crop. Pretty impressive I must say. The amount of moving parts and engineering are amazing.
That's just a quick synopsis of our visit to Minnesota 2009. Thanks to everyone that visited with us. Jake had so much fun and has taken a lot of memories home. Miss you already!

Fun on the Farm

2009-06-30T15:10:00.005-05:00

We spent a week in Minnesota visiting Lee's family and friends. This was my first time visiting when things were green. It was such nice weather compared to here. It did get a little steamy towards the end of our stay, but it prepared us for the heat wave we have been enduring in FL.

This was one of our first days at Lee's parents. We are picking asparagus. If you look closely you will see it growing right out of the ground.

It was the first harvest of the season so some asparagus were pretty long. I love this shot. It is almost half the length of Lee!

Jake was very helpful in the gathering of the bounty. We had a 10 gallon pail full of the most delicious asparagus I have ever had.
Jake riding one of the toys Lee use to play with when he was growing up.
Jake, Lee and Grandpa riding grandpa's toy now that he is grown up. They took a tractor ride a few miles down the road to Lee's brother's house. This was surely a highlight of our trip to Jake. Still when I ask him what we did at Grandma and Grandpa he says tractor ride.

Birthday Movies

2009-06-09T14:17:00.006-05:00

I hardly post videos so I finally had some time to go through a few. The first we have a video of the gift Lee picked out for Jake. Thanks honey! Jake sure does like to pretend he is in a marching band and makes Lee and I follow him around the house drumming or pretending to play the tuba.

The next is Jake blowing out his candles with the help of his friend Zachary. We had a mere miss with the candles, but who hasn't tried to grab them right?

Another year over. Where does the time go?

Better late then never

2009-06-09T13:51:00.003-05:00

Finally some pictures of Jake's birthday. I know, it was 3 weeks ago. I can't seem to get caught up lately. Jake loves to help us around the house and is always attracted to play kitchens when we are out, so we thought why not. We thought this was a pretty manly kitchen and Jake loves it. He could have cared less what colors it was, but since it had to be in our living area ( our house is too small already) I didn't want a pink and purple plastic thing next to the table. I thought this matched our decor slightly. Take note of the adorable apron and oven mitt that my aunt Phyllis made for him. He won't open the oven without it on! Maybe we have a budding chef in the family?

Speaking of chefs, I think that his cake came out great. Jake loved it. He kept saying it was his "Thomas" cake even though it looks nothing like Thomas the Train. Although it is a train. I was complimented by a 5 year as he said it was the best cake ever. I think that's high marks from a 5 year old. I had fun making it, but glad his birthday only comes once a year.
Blowing out the candles. He tried so hard and did finally get them out.
I had to put a few of Jake eating a cupcake that we had for him on his actual birthday. He ate all the frosting off first of course.
Just priceless! I wish I could get away with eating cake like that.
Thanks to all you sent Jake gifts and cards. He is truly spoiled! I haven't added Jake stats lately so anyone who is interested he is 3 ft tall and weighs 28 pounds. He had a great 2 year doctor appointment and we don't plan on seeing him again for another year. Yikes, he'll be 3!

Trip to Pensacola

2009-05-27T08:18:00.002-05:00

We took an overnight trip to Pensacola Naval base with Lee last week for work. He had to take the SATS again to apply to the Seaman to Admiral Program. I give him a lot of credit for even attempting the SATS again. The thought makes me cringe.

While we were waiting for Lee, Jake and I explored the base and found this park. Jake especially liked the helicopter.

He wasn't as thrilled with the tire swing, but sat for the obligatory picture.
When Lee was done we all went to the Naval Air Museum on the Navy Base. It was very interesting even for us with little knowledge of planes or flight. Jake loved it! He was in heaven being able to see airplanes and helicopters up close. We had to get a picture with this enormous anchor.
And of course in the cockpit of a Blue Angel Jet. There is hardly any room in there and frankly I was getting claustrophobic. This is the base where the Blue Angels are based.
It was a short trip, but now we can say we've been there. Stay posted for birthday pictures. Jake is trying to "help" me with this post, so I will save that one for later.

Mexico Beach

2009-05-14T16:53:00.002-05:00

We took a trip to our favorite beach my last weekend off. Here are some of the highlights. Our new friend is below. We have been trying to explain to Jake that you shouldn't put your fingers in the holes you find in the sand. I think it's a good rule in general to follow. Once he saw this come out of the hole in the sand, I think he got it.

All children should bury their Dad at least once. Jake was interested for about 2 minutes. I had to do all the hard work. Jake posed for pictures at the end. Figures.
This isn't the best picture, but rare for me to be in one, so I thought I would include it.
The next Baywatch star! " I'll be your hero. . . ". Jake loves the water. It's still too cold for me. I am such a wimp. Hawaii spoiled me.
Jake turns 2 tomorrow. Where has the year gone! When asked what he wants his reply is balloons and presents. Pretty much my response too except I add cake.

Weekend Away

2009-05-06T17:12:00.003-05:00

I have about 10 minutes before I have to go check the oven for dinner, so I thought I would post a few pictures from our big weekend away. Lee and I went on our first trip without Jake to Boston for our good friends Michelle and Steve's wedding. It was a fabulous weekend. My parents stayed with Jake and we flew to Boston. This is the view of the Charles River from our hotel room.

Myself and the beautiful bride after the ceremony. Michelle and I have been friends since 8th grade.
Lee and I dancing. We actually got a compliment the next day on our dancing skills! Who knew we could dance. Although, they may have meant it in a sarcastic way. . . oh well. We had fun.
The day after the wedding we took the rental car up the North shore to Marblehead. Very quaint old town with cute shops and restaurants. A bit chilly for us Floridians, but beautiful sun.
And I couldn't do a post without one picture of Jake. This is from a while ago, but I thought it was a great picture. We went to the beach on the coldest, rainiest day of spring, but we still had a good time exploring and playing in the sand. It was a very long walk to the beach and Jake insisted on walking the whole way there and back. He slept the whole way home in the car. Jake wants to be so independent.
Well, I have to go check dinner. Hope all is well with everyone.

Keeping Busy!

2009-04-22T13:44:00.002-05:00

Sorry for the long lapse in postings. We have been especially busy this past month. I can't believe that Jake is going to be 2 next month! Really in just a few weeks. He is really growing up before our eyes. He is speaking in sentences. Sometimes as many as five words. It was like someone turned a light switch and he started talking. I have been trying to get some of it on video, but as soon as I take the camera out, he stops. We'll keep trying though.

As the next two pictures show, Jake still likes to hide in things. Don't panic. I didn't let him keep the plastic bag over his head for more than a few seconds.

Jake is a budding artist here. Aunt Phyllis had lots of paints and brushes for Jake to use. I haven't been brave enough to get paints yet. For now we are sticking to crayons!
Lee and Jake were playing at the park here. There is a good little kids park at my aunts house that Jake loved. Especially the digging and slide.
Jake was spoiled rotten this weekend at Phyllis' house. It was Easter so every time he turned around there was an Easter basket, egg to find or gift. Thanks to Phyllis, Marge and Steve for all the great gifts.

Quick Update

2009-03-27T18:25:00.002-05:00

We have had an exciting and at times annoying past few weeks. I just wanted to give a quick hello and update. The biggest, most exciting news is Jake gave up his Paci! By himself! I woke up Sunday after working that night to the news that Jake had decided to throw it out. It was his last one and he knew it. He kept biting holes in them so we said no more. We were going though one a day until that! You know he hung onto that one for 6 weeks until it finally started to wear a hole in it. He noticed it and threw it away. Lee tried to convince him to keep it, but it was not happening. So it has been a rough go the first few days, but now he is doing quite a bit better. Jake only used it to sleep so bedtime is not as easy and more time consuming for Lee and I. Funny how something so little can change his emotions and attitude. So Jake is another step towards being a "big boy".

Here are a few more pictures of Jake helping us out around the house. Flowers anyone?

Helping me unpack a box. I am still finding packing peanuts on the floor.
On to the annoying news. Our cat Toby has taken to peeing all over our house again and until yesterday refused to use his litter box at all. It has been a long 3 weeks of cleaning rugs, furniture and what ever else was in the way. Yuck! We have been to the vet and Toby has a clean bill of health so our cat is just mental. Actually he said "stressed" and we will probably need to medicate him with valium or xanax! I think he must of meant for me because I am pulling my hair out. You just can't reason with a cat! We will keep you updated on our recent challenges.

Hard at work. . .

2009-03-15T14:00:00.001-05:00

Jake is very big into "helping" Lee and I. I promise, we don't believe in child labor! Here are a few shots of Jake helping us out.

Spring is officially here. Note the shorts and t-shirts in the lawn mowing picture. Jake had to help Lee replace the oil and spark plug in his and Lee's lawnmower.

Here, Jake is helping Lee use the grinding wheel to polish some mini bike parts. Lee is restoring his first mini motorcycle. It's about 30 years old and is coming along pretty well. Safety first when using power tools we say!
The last two are Jake helping us garden. We put down new soil in all our gardens. The soil in FL is sand and does very little for our plants. Jake loved to get the wheel barrel full and dump it out. He was filthy and sweaty by the end of the day. This was a "get-undressed-outside" day for sure! Note the garden gloves are back.
Jake and I planted some seeds this spring as well. I tried to teach Jake a little about plants. He was more interested in the dirt than learning about the plant cycle. Such a boy!

. . . and play!

2009-03-15T02:45:00.000-05:00

We have fun to with Jake. It's not all work. Here Lee is explaining how the rear suspension of the mini bike will work.

Jake had a long day of play after gymnastic here. I have a basket of toys next to his crib so he can entertain himself when he wakes up in the morning, but here he decided to play prior to the nap. He loves to sleep with the stuffed dog too. I don't know how he has room to sleep!
Another of Jake's favorite things to do is take pictures and videos and then look at them. I guess the concept is a little strange to a child when I think about it. We were taking pictures of ourselves here and I think this one came out pretty good!
This is Jake's newest knit toy that I made. It's a snake if you can't make it out. I thought it was so funny how big it ended up. It's the same height as him. He likes to make it hiss and take a nap. I'm not sure about the nap part.
The swing is still a favorite of Jake's. I love his expression. Childhood is so innocent.

Fun and Games

2009-03-01T13:00:00.002-06:00

We have been enjoying the warmer weather lately and getting outside more. Lee got these gardening gloves for Jake. He loves them and wants to wear them all the time. Here Jake is cooking some Goldfish soup. He wanted to wear the gloves because the pot is hot. Why of course! Perfect sense. Sort of funny because we don't wear gloves when we cook. We aren't sure where he got this idea from.

The next few pictures are Jake at his Gymnastic class. We go once a week for an hour. It's organized chaos, but Jake loves it. Especially when Lee goes with us!
Jump! Jump! Or run to the end as fast as you can. Jake isn't the least bit interested in jumping, but wants to run to the end so he can slide down the horse.
Jake likes to swing from the bar. He lifts his feet off the ground and does scissors with his legs. I can attest that it is not as easy as it sounds. Us parents look like fools trying to do the same things they do effortlessly.
Jake also loves to color. Here he is decorating his Bob the Builder Valentines that he picked out himself. We may have another artist in the family!

Lee and I are also doing well. Jake is keeping us both busy. Lee has been very busy at work with the study he is working on. I have taken to working out, or at least trying to. It is not that easy anymore to find the time or the motivation. I have to lose the final 10 pounds of baby weight now that Jake is almost 2. No excuses anymore! Hope everyone is well. Thinking of you all!

Atlanta Aquarium

2009-02-10T19:57:00.003-06:00

We ventured to Atlanta for the first time this past weekend. Well, actually Lee and I have been there, but only to stay overnight in a hotel because of cancelled flights. So it was our first sight seeing trip. We went to the Aquarium, which is the largest in the world. It was very cool I must say. I don't remember the aquarium as a child that well, so this was pretty cool for all of us. This tank was over two stories high and held countless fish including nurse sharks and manta rays. Very cool.

Jake loved all the touch pools. He could reach and touch sting rays, sand sharks, anemones and star fish. So neat to see him experience this.
He never got tired of trying to touch the fish, even through the glass. This was an amazing tank that was on both sides of the entrance from floor to ceiling. The jacks swim in schools all in the same direction all day long. Words can't do this exhibit justice. You just have to see it. If you are in the area, check out the Aquarium. Well worth it in our book.

Atlanta Children's Museum

2009-02-09T20:13:00.000-06:00

During our trip to Atlanta we hit the Children's Museum. We had to soak up all the culture we could muster. We unfortunately don't have a lot of culture in PCB. Jake, and about 50 other children, ran around for hours playing and experiencing it all. This museum was not really a museum, but a play area with focuses. This area was to experience music. How cute is that piano?!

Here Jake loved to push the trains around. It was a great set up just at his height. Chug-a, chug-a, chug-a, chug-a choo choo! Jake's version is pretty close. More like "dooo dooo", but we get it!
Jake loves play kitchens. I know a lot of kids do, but he is drawn to them all. He could have spent all day here. They had an area to "food shop" and unload the groceries from a truck with a lift. Jake also liked to load and drive the truck.

This was the first thing Jake saw as he entered. We had to tear him away to let others play. He loves to "drive".
Lee and I had quite enough of kiddie craziness for one day after the museum. We're not use to all that noise and running around! We were glad to get some lunch and eat by the fountain. We could see this from our hotel room. Jake loved it. Maybe more than the museum and aquarium. It would shoot water up and go to music 4 times a day. Why are the free things that ones they like best? I have some video I need to edit to put on here later that shows his enthusiasm.
We had a great trip and are planning our next trip to the Big Easy, after Mardi Gras is over that is!

January Update

2009-01-29T15:42:00.002-06:00

We have been taking it easy over this past month. It has been so nice to have nothing really important to get done. We are going to Atlanta this weekend to visit the Aquarium and the Children's Museum. It should be a lot of fun and a good chance to get out of Panama City.

Jake walked out of his room the other day and I turned around to this. If one paci is good, two are great! Jake only uses them at night and nap time and knows he's not suppose to have them out of his crib otherwise. Guess he showed us.

Lee got Jake this "air compressor" after Christmas. It is identical to Lee's. Jake loves to break up the blocks. It actually sounds like Lee's. They love it.
Jake and I made pretzels the other day. He liked to roll out the dough and sprinkle them with cinnamon and sugar. A few ended up in balls, but we had a good time. This is actually the first time that I noticed the J is backwards. Great teacher I am! Guess I was tired that afternoon! Jake is always so proud when he can show Lee what he made with me. So cute and yummy!
We hope to have more pictures from our trip when we return. Stay warm everyone!

The Many Faces of Jake

2009-01-15T16:05:00.003-06:00

If you have kids and own a digital camera you know that when photographing a child you must take 100 pictures to get one good one. I was trying to get Jake attempting to blow bubbles. This first one is the best bubble blowing picture and the rest just happened along in the photo shoot. Not much new to report here. Just trying to stay warm. It's suppose to be in the teens tonight. (In FL that's pretty cold for all you Northeners!)

Christmas

2009-01-05T15:46:00.003-06:00

We had a great time at my parents for Christmas. It was over too soon. Jake really enjoyed seeing everyone again. He was very spoiled with attention and gifts. This is a shot of him smiling with his new car garage. One of his favorite gifts so far.

Lee and Jake "smiling" in their Christmas P.J.'s. My grandmother always got my bother and I pajamas to wear Christmas Eve. They were almost always plaid because my grandmother was from Scotland. My mom has continued the tradition with Jake. How cute are those elephant slippers?!

This is my brother Ricky and his fiance Kate. They got engaged on Christmas Eve at Kate's parents house in N.H. Kate's dad got it all on camera so we got to watch it when they got to my parents. We are very excited for them and look forward to their wedding. Thanks for all the stylish clothes guys!
My mom with Jake smiling again. It is rare that we get a picture not smiling. Any time we take a camera out, whether it's to photograph Jake or not, he smiles.
Jake with Aunt Phyllis and his new blocks. Thanks Auntie Poo! Jake loves to fix the blocks with his new tools and saw them in half. Lots of fun to be had. Not to mention knocking over all the towers I build.

It was a wonderful week spent with our family. It is sad having it all over. Hopefully we can do it again someday soon. Thanks to everyone for the great gifts. We miss you all so much.

Happy New Year

2009-01-05T15:31:00.002-06:00

We hope everyone had a Happy New Year. We are just getting our head above water now that the holidays are over. We returned home last Tues and I worked Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday. Few, I am glad that's over. We are just now able to go through all of our wonderful gifts and find a home for them.

Here are a few pictures of us at the park at my parents. It is a really great playground and Jake loved it. So did Lee!

Jake loves vacuums. So my parents got Jake this for Christmas. It actually sucks up dirt, well maybe dust. Hey, any help I can get!
Jake got a new rain coat from my aunt Ruth and uncle Bobby. Jake loved to be outside and splash in the puddles. We just need to get him some green goulashes to match!

We are all tired from the holidays and plan to spend the year relaxing as much as possible. There is nothing more important than your family or your health. We are going to work on strengthening them both. Happy New Year!

Christmas is upon us!

2008-12-22T12:36:00.003-06:00

Christmas is just a few days away and we are ready. We are going to my parents tomorrow for a Christmas extravaganza with our family. It will be the first time we have been together in years. My aunt Phyllis, brother Ricky and his girlfriend Kate are all flying in. It should be a fun time.

Since we are leaving for the holiday, we opened a few gifts early. These are a few pictures of Jake in his new tent/tunnel system from Carrie, Marc, Spencer and Morgan. Jake LOVES it. It has overtaken our living room, but who cares.

This is Jake at Judy and Bill's. We had dinner and exchanged gifts and spirits. Jake saw Lee getting a drink so had to copy him of course. This is Jake's newest trick. Not the drink, but the smile. It is so funny. We say smile and this is what we get. It is hysterical.
Jake playing with his new tool set from Bill and Judy. Now he can fix things along with Lee.
Santa made his annual appearance. Jake wasn't too sure what to make of him. He would go to him, but he wouldn't let out a smile. Tough crowd!
We wish everyone a warm, safe and happy holiday. Talk to you all in the New Year!

Getting Ready for Christmas

2008-12-15T17:06:00.002-06:00

This is a silly picture of Jake in a suitcase that Lee won from his work Christmas Party. Jake fit just perfectly. He loves to be pushed around in it. I was making dinner and came out to this. Looks pretty cozy thanks to Lee. Jake wasn't feeling great that day, so he actually sat there for a while.

This is just another picture of Jake on the rocking horse. He gets going so fast I am afraid he is going to tip backwards. Thankfully we have carpet.
We are winding down the Christmas rush as this week passes. The gifts are bought, wrapped and sent. The cards are almost in the mail. Jake has his list ready for Santa and so is Lee's. We are going to my parents in S.C. next week to spend the holiday with them, my aunt Phyllis, my brother and his girlfriend Kate. We are looking forward to seeing everyone and to see how Jake responds to Christmas this year. I will take lots of pictures and movies. Have a Merry Christmas!