Our weekend:)

I have to say...this weekend was great! Nothing too special..., but busy nontheless. I had a wonderful time with my little family and we enjoyed many hours outdoors! The weekend definitely wasn't long enough but they never are....

Sunday afternnoon we took Jaxson to Zorinsky Lake and park. It was a relaxing afternoon. We played at the park and took a walk around the lake just as the sun was setting. We started talking our usual "what are we going to do when we have to leave this place" talk....it seems to be our official "figure out our future" hangout! I love afterrnoons there and hope there will be something like it close to our new home...wherever that may be:)
Just look at how excited my baby boy is to be in a swing at the park? I loved watching him and when I look at this picture I think, "does it get any better than this?" REALLY?

You can see the beautiful lake and sunset behind us! It was pretty chilly and the NO mountains make for some pretty strong winds....which explain my hair in the next picture...

Me and my baby...

There is a paved walking trail for approx. 8 miles around this lake. It is just beautiful!

Later that evening I made one of our favorites for this time of year "sausage cheese dip" and we carved pumpkins! It was such a fun day...and a memory I will cherish. Sometimes I stop and think..."it will only be just me, jarom, and jaxson just this once!" It is sad that just when you figure things out and get to a place you love and feel comfortable.....time passes so quickly.

Yummm....He knaws on everything! Those two little teeth on the bottom get quite the workout during the day! Nursing has become a battle between us. Sometimes I win....sometimes he does and I whince in pain:(

This rocks!

Come on....of course I get serious about something as simple as carving a pumpkin. I can't help it...it's something born in me. I wanted it to be just perfect.

....and to top the night off I made a batch of pumpkin sugar cookies! I don't know why everytime I think of something fun to do...it involves baking or eating? I just equally love to do both:)

RANDOM Other things: This weekend was also the big primary program for sacrament meeting. Ya know...the favorite sunday of the year! Ok-for those of us who work in the primary it is. I have been in this primary for three years now...and I honestly love these children. We worked so hard and I threw them a big pizza party on the saturday night before so we could rehearse and practice our parts! They did wonderful on Sunday and it is such a relief to us (the presidency) to have it over for another 12 months...wahoo:)

Also-Jarom was set apart to a new calling in the Young Men's presidency this sunday. I can't stop thinking about several things they said to him during the blessing. They are all so true! They mentioned that he was well-rounded and perfect for the position becuase of his understanding, patience and love for life.(he would kill me for this) Something that stood out to me was that "he would be such a great example to the boys of how a man can equally balance: family, marriage, professional schooling, a calling, and sports!" I giggled a little inside because OF COURSE a blessing to jarom would mention SOMETHING about SPORTS! He sure is well-rounded and I'm lucky to live with such an example. You'd think after almost 4 years it would start to rub off on me a bit more than it has. He is so so so good at balancing ...I sometimes get jealous at his ability to do so much without getting easily overwhelmed. I seem to get that way pretty quickly! I often think about last semester of law school....probably one of the busiest of the entire thing....he had 20 plus credits, law review and law review editing board, worked almost full-time (which is against the rules), and we had jaxson! Now....that is a few things to handle without even flinching and hardly missing a basketball or flagfootball game:) There is no doubt in my mind he will be able to teach those boys a little something about life:) I still beg him everyday to teach me to handle things with that much grace!

P.S.

Als0- and as much important....I am SO SCARED jaxson's teeth are going to be crooked, brown, deformed...Anything but normal! Has anyone had these same fears as their children's teeth are erupting? Please tell me what you did to calm down?!? Maybe it's my years of working with teeth...but I am terrified that his sweet little teeth will not come up just perfectly white and in line! aaaaggghhh......I know, so lame....but so true! Please, oh please let them be fine:)

Vala's WITH DAD!

I posted my vala's pictures backwards...whoops! I'm sure my friend Brittany will appreciate being the first one of the bunch...with this nice shot of her and her husband Bryce in the Ice-cream barn at Vala's pumpkin patch! Yep....we went back! I posted so many pictures last time...I considered not posting more...but JAROM was there...so how could I not:)

It was pretty cold friday evening...but bryce wanted Vala's homemade custard...so we all hung out in the ice-cream barn to get warm a minute...while he enjoyed some ice-cream. Vala's is so fun...everything is so decorated and themed! My idea of heaven...anything with a theme is so much fun! This cow is right in the middle of the ice-cream shop! Adorable...
My family:)
My sweetie...
My other sweetie....I never have pics of us together anymore. It was fun to get this taken...little jax was asleep at this point!
Me and Avery (another law school couple's little girl). She is almost 4 and is expecting a little brother anyday now! We were hanging out with farmer Homer outside "pork chop Annies" restaurant...where the boys stopped for some food!

My friend Brittany and me. We are so alike it's sickening. She is Honestly the Only person I have ever met (besides jarom) that knows exactly what I am thinking and feeling ALL the time....and likes me anyways:)

Boys enjoying some barbeque!

My little eskimo (sp?) on a pile of pumpkins. I am NOT exaggerating about how excited he gets over pumpkins...it's almost wierd! Today he would not stop screaming so I went and got his little pumpkin and handed it to him....quiet for almost 30 minutes...just starting at it! HA HA HA

It was a lot of fun to take jarom. I love this time of year and it was about tiem we got to spend some time as a family....enjoying the season. With all this studies, working, and flying here and there for interviews....we were in need of some "together time".

In line for pony-rides! I promise we won't be going back until next year...so you won't see any more pics of Vala's!

Rubber Ducky!

Bath Time! Jaxson is so fun during his baths. Just like almost every other child I'm sure....he just loves bath time. We have a frogpod (a giant green frog that suctions to our shower and houses all his MANY tub toys. When you dump that thing in with him....he freaks:) It is so fun to watch how excited he gets. The next few pictures capture some of his "excited" facial expressions. He is full of them.....

This is after washing him and the water is filled with soap...I promise it isn't dirty water!

Too bad bath time has to end...because lotioning him is the "end of the world"! He screams like his arm is being cut off. I try and distract him wit his toothbrush. He actually is fascinated by it! (He already has two teeth...YAY!)

Grandma's visit!

This past week was wonderful! I forget that the first things I post go on first....so as you scroll down...you will hear me say that a hundred times! It is so true! We missed jarom to death and are so glad to have him home...but having grandma to ourselves for an entire week was WONDERUL!

We did a lot of Christmas shopping and found Jaxson SO MUCH fun stuff! We also took Jaxson to Vala's Pumpkin Patch, ate SO many good meals: Old Chicago, The Cheescake Factory, Jason's Deli (twice), Chili's (for the chips and salsa of course:) We played and watched movies....we took jaxson on walks and had such a special time. I think jaxson especially loved it because he doesn't get to see his grandma very often unfortunately! Jarom is back from Utah...and the initial "networking" and "job hunt" went excellent....so I am excited to announce that We will most definitely be coming back to Utah! We won't decide anything for sure yet....but he has a few options and offers....and we are hoping that in the coming months more opportunities will present themselves. This is such an exciting and overwhelming process! I guess it's a bit early to say where we'll end up for sure....for the right price :)...I may stay here for a bit longer! It will be bittersweet to leave our family and friends...but super nice to finally be graduated and moving on! My friend Brittany said it best the other night when she said, "and to think we WANTED THIS". (school to come to an end she meant). Ha....now we want to stay near eachother forever...how time changes things. It will be so wonderful though...to raise our children with family around....and we can't wait until MAY! (if you haven't noticed I made jarom a little Chicago Cubs graduation countdown on the side of my blog to make him feel included in my BLOGGING addiction:)
Getting ready for ANOTHER day of shopping with the girls! He is so much more happy than his dad....when shopping is brought up.

Chili's! This was jaxson's first experience in a high chair instead of staying in his carseat and sitting in one of those slings! I about died laughing. He was just loving it....and luckily I had my camera in my diaper bag. I was so glad to have my mom here....because I get so caught up in him being my baby that I forget about things like LETTING him sit in the cart instead of his baby carrier at Costco....or a high chair at dinner! It didn't even occur to me....and it kind of makes me want to cry.

Grammy and Jaxson at Chili's. "ummmm...what to order?"

Starting him out early on chips and salsa! Jarom is addicted to it and it's kind of rubbed off on everyone in my family! Jaxson thought they were pretty great!

Everyone in the restaurant loved him! He looks SO tiny just sitting up all big in a high chair. A baby his exact size was sitting on the table acrossed from us in his carseat/sling thing....and I just laughed at the thought of my little crazy boy sitting still like that! He is everywhere and so BUSY! He has to be holding things, exploring, or moving around all the time. I hope this means he is Ahead for his age, instead of just hyperactive:)

Out to lunch with the girls!

Tad the singing Toad!

Does it get cuter than that? My mom totally spoiled jaxson while she was here visiting! Every store we went into she would hold up a toy and ask him if he liked it. If he laughed or smiled (which HE is always doing)....she would say...."Oh! He likes it!" and put it in the cart. That how we got "Baby Tad the singing Toad"! Jaxson is playing with him right this second. He is adorable. He sings several songs...teaches the ABC'S and has nightime settings to help get him to sleep too! Just another thing he get's excited about. I love it:)
He was having the funnest time playing with Tad....I looked down and he had rolled over and they were head to head. (I did not position this pic believe it or not!) Their faces look the exact same...Mouth and all and I thought it was the cutest thing ever.

My new toy:)

Daddy's going to be surprised when he comes home...because Jaxson is crawling!!! Only a few steps...but he immediately gets into this position when placed on the ground...it's only a matter of days (maybe even hours) until I must babyproof my house! aaaggghhh!

See...there he goes!

Scrunched nose smile....I just love it!

Vala's Pumpkin Patch!

Next to taking Jaxson to Disneyland for the first time....Vala's Pumpkin Patch was the highlight of my life thus far! Ha Ha....Those who know me, know I tend to exaggerate. I like to think it's because of my Intense excitement about anything to do with "holidays", "traditions", or my Sweet little boy jaxson, but maybe it's just my personality...who knows! But, I really felt that way. Having my mom there with us made it that much more special. Experiencing things like this with a child is the best thing ever. I love how excited he gets over all the little things and how everything is so new.

You will notice his big grin or his constant giggling throughout the pictures. I just love him and feel so lucky! Everywhere we went for the entire week (me and my mom) people would just laugh and stare and him and tell us how "happy" and "funny" he was. He just loves to laugh....and is such a joy!
He thought sitting in this pile of pumpkins was the best! He was fascinated by them....and loved playing with them and holding them.
Grammy and Jax...

I think he found the one he likes.....Just his size! SO cute!

yummmmmm......DIRT! He liked sucking the dirt off of the Gords!

I absolutely love this picture to death. My mom wanted to get a picture of jax by this pumpkin because it kind of looked like he was laughing and scrunching his nose and jaxson ALWAYS scrunches his nose while laughing or smiling. (My student Suzanne told me the other day that he gets it from me....and I did't believe it until I saw this picture.) Jaxson and I are both laughing at each other.....and as you can see... we both have scrunched noses! Or should I say...all three of us do (mr. pumpkin, mommy and jax:)

Watch out! His first time behind the wheel of a John Deer Tractor!

Selecting the perfect pumpkin....

Grammy, me and jax on a hayrack ride through the pumpkin fields to choose our pumpkins! Fun!

Look at the hundreds of pumpkins behind us!

Grammy laughing at jaxson. He is always talking away and just giggling. I thought this was so cute....because she just can't get enough of him!

Petting all the animals on the pumpkin farm! They had goats, llama's, a camel....pigs, bunnies and tons more! Jaxson loved it!

Petting the baby goats!

hee hee....my cute family!

First trip down a slide....it was hooked to a cute little John Deer Tractor!

I think he knows giggling gets him a lot of positive attention....so he just keeps doing it all day long!

So much fun! We can't wait until next year.

Vala's is one of the best places on earth this time of year. It literally has a map and hundreds of attractions (almost like an amusement park...but for Fall activities!). We had a blast...and of course have SO many pictures it's crazy. Jaxson got to choose a little pumpkin and we all went on a hayrack ride out to the pumkin field. We stopped at the bakery and had some wonderful soup and breadbowls....then later a Funnel Cake...and stopped at another little boutique to take home so Homemade Fudge...YUM! It has several shops and restaurants within the Park. We watched Hog Races, walked through the apple education barn and Would HAVE EATEN a turkey leg if we could have held an ounce more food! I will remember it forever!

p.s. There is a little + and - sign on the bottom left of the slideshow that will make it go faster or slower. I was getting annoyed watching them so slowly.....hit the plus a few times and they fly by!