never underestimate how smart your kid is...

I underestimated if Jack could figure out how to open the baby powder...

the white shoe in this pic isn't a white shoe...

Pumpkins!!!

'Tis the season for pumpkins!

I love the fall!  Just a little cold, enough for a light jacket and a sweater with some comfy boots, leaves falling all around, and cold nights to cuddle up under a big blanket.  (as I write this, it's snowing outside - enough to cover everything... goodbye fall)

And of course, it's pumpkin hunting time!

Daddy's truck

SO MUCH FUN

For the past week, Jack has had the sniffles with a cough... we were stuck inside Monday and Tuesday snuggling and watching Toy Story over and over and over again.  So Wednesday I couldn't take it anymore - after nap time, we headed out.  He still was acting a bit sick, so I hunted out a park where there were no kids (turns out to be not so hard with school in session) so I wouldn't feel bad about thinking that Jack was probably getting some other kid sick.  We found one that he could manage, so I could cheer him on from the shady grass.  While we were there, Brandon gave me a call to let me know he would be loading his truck up near by and we should come say hi.

Jack was so excited to see his daddy and see all the trucks and railroad cars (frac sand is brought in by rail car and then loaded onto trucks that haul it out to the fracing sights).  And Brandon got Jack into the truck and he had SO MUCH FUN.  So much fun that he crashed on the way home for a SECOND nap!  I want to do this EVERY DAY.

while Brandon was loading the truck, Jack could see him in the side mirrors.

A non-update post...

I know that I usually post about all things Jack, and sometimes things that are going on with the hubs and I... But this post is going to be different - this is mostly going to be some of somethings knocking around my head as of late... and I need to put it OUT there, not just written in my personal journal.  I haven't been sleeping well lately.  Actually, I never really have a good nights rest, but it's been particularly restless as of late.  I really wish I could be zonked out in my bed right now, but the mind will not be silent even with a dose of Tylenol PM (which makes me REALLY hope this will all make sense in the end).

To start off with, I'm politically aware during this awesome election year (please note the sarcasm), and I've tried to keep to myself the things that I differ with many who I am acquainted with, because well... I'm a little lazy about it to tell you the truth.  If those who differ with me have the energy to post things on Facebook or a blog that are against my views, belittling to my beliefs, or most of all mean, how likely are they to be swayed by a comment by me that they decipher (no matter how eloquently it might be put) as saying that I don't know what I'm talking about.  I've got better things to focus my energy on that I really have a day-to-day effect on... like raising my kid, being a good wife to my husband, a good daughter/in-law and sister/in-law to my family, and being a good friend.  With Mitt Romney being the same faith as I am, a LOT of attention has been brought to the LDS religion.  It's been awesome at times - when people find out that I'm Mormon I don't have to correct them from thinking I said moron, or that I have to go into a lengthy discussion about what my religion is about ALL the time (I get winded... there's a lot to it).  It has been HORRIBLE in the fact that the things that I hold most sacred to me - the things that I treat with the utmost respect, reverence, and approach with complete humility - are being ridiculed, belittled, and trampled on.  It hurts my heart.  Literally.

I was born and raised in the San Francisco bay area on the south side of San Jose.  An area that is not predominately LDS, nor was there a dominant religion during the 80s and 90s when I lived there.  I was raised by parents who converted to the religion in their late 20's, and both researched the LDS faith thoroughly before joining.  I grew up learning about different faiths and had many friends who I don't think even knew (or cared) what religion I was, and I reciprocated not knowing (or caring) what theirs was (having too much fun doing ANYTHING else).  I was taught to live with acceptance of others - my parents were (and still are) wonderful examples of this. I am always taken aback when someone who I know and consider a friend or acquaintance doesn't have the same respect of me.  I have friends where we have agreed to disagree, and value and respect each other more than being "right" about something.  And not to sound like I'm TOO perfect in this area, I have made flippant remarks, been uniformed about something I talked about, and I've offended people.... many times. (I'm very lucky to know people who recognize that I am a human being and make mistakes, and forgive me of them when I apologize.)

I'm having a hard time sitting here tolerating what others are saying so mean spiritedly and hurtful.

Birfdays and....

 

This handsome boy has officially turned TWO!

It is crazy - I'm having a hard time believing that it's been two years since this little guy stole my heart.  He hasn't gone into full "terrible two" syndrome that I can tell... Sure we have our occasional melt down in the middle of the grocery store, park, church, mall, play date, side walk, parking lot, nap time, and bedtime...but lucky for me they are (SO FAR) short bursts and easily extinguished by showing him something cool or shiny or more interesting than throwing a fit.  So far, it's been working and I'm not looking forward to the day that it doesn't.  'Cause really - he is his mother's son... it will NOT last :)

tomatoes

During my pregnancy, I constantly craved fruits and veggies... which has resulted in the boy LOVING all fruits and veggies (YEAH!!!!).  I have loved the fact that I don't have to battle it out with him to eat the things he needs to - just to eat in general is a task (playing can be so much more important).  His most favorite food is by far tomatoes - taoes as he says it (sounds just like tomatoes minus the m - step up from what he used to call them, toes). 

Recently, we went to the grocery store and he didn't want anything to do with being in the cart.  The place was slow enough and I had not much else on my to-do list, so I thought why not let him "help" me push the cart and run around a little bit - that way we'll both be happy at the end of the shopping excursion.  Everything went fine until we got to the produce section, and he caught sight of the tomatoes.  I turned around and grabbed one of the plastic produce bags, and when i turned back to Jack he was happily chomping down on one of the tomatoes that was in a low bin.  "Yum!" he proudly says to me and goes in for another bite.  I quickly get it away from him and try to tell him that we need to pay for things before we eat them, and I put the bit tomato into the bag... and before I can do anything else, he's at it again & this time double-fisting it.  After several more tries to get him to stop, I finally was able to corral him away from the tomatoes long enough to get the now screaming toddler into the shopping cart.  We left the grocery store not very happy, and with SIX additional tomatoes. 

Oi Vay...

I say this EVERY TIME - I really need to update this thing way more often than I do...BUT I do have a very valid reason for not updating until now - we've been moving and settling into our new place, our new place which needed a LOT of work (everything except for paint is being reimbursed by our awesome landlord) and we've had no internet until today, so there you go. 

We now live up on top of a hill in Rock Springs, which makes for more silent nights and beautiful views on our drives to anywhere. We no longer have loud neighbors,

Yet another first....

 Notice anything different about the boy? 

the cutest things....

the boy does and says the cutest things... I love every minute of it until I think my heart is going to burst.  And then he figures out how to pull out all of our dvds and make a huge mess while I'm putting away laundry and my bursting subsides for the moment.