New Year New Resolutions

I actually followed through with my resolutions last year so I need to make some new ones! This will make me accountable for them... at least I hope.

My goals specifically for Jackson:
1. Once a month cook or bake something with him. This was so much fun over Christmas and he LOVED it so I would like to keep it going.
2. Once a month or every other month do something crafty- even if it's just coloring, side walk chalk, or play dough. I feel like we do it now but not enough.
3. More swim lessons

House:
1. Finish unpacking. With the holidays it has been really hard to finish unpacking.
2. Finish painting
3. Get organized!
4. Sometime this year either redo a bathroom or the fireplace.

Me:
1. Keep the house cleaner... I HATE a dirty/messy house but ever since we moved.. ok since we have had Jackson it seems impossible. That means more motivation when I get home from work BLAH
2. More reading. I've been reading a lot lately and I want to keep it up!
3. More fitness....even if it's just walking/running but doing more. I get too caught up in running errands and put fitness last. Maybe get off the couple of holiday pounds :)
4. Worry less. I'm a worrier. I just am and I'm going to try to worry less.

Family:
1. Make it to church more this year. We are trying. Jackson is just a terror. BUT hopefully I will get the balls to leave him in the nursery and pray no one gives him a snack. Nope already talked myself out of that one. Worry less. Worry less...
2. More date nights! I would say we did better with this but there is always room for improvement.

Thanksgiving 2013

We have so many things to be thankful for family, health, love, lots of laughter, and of course our new house! This year we hosted Thanksgiving at our house. We started the day bailing on our race (it was 32 degrees outside) only to run a relay later that morning. We watched the Macy's Day parade while we got ready for our guests to arrive. After lots of prep in the kitchen and awesome fried turkey made by Jamie himself, we ate! Yummy food! After lunch/dinner we had our annual basketball game of "horse" which I myself won!! This is a least two years in a row... A game of beer pong later and lots of football we had to put all the babes to sleep. The next morning we had our first annual christmas movie in christmas "Js" as we call them.


Unfortunately, I missed last year's post but here are a few pics:

2012

2013

I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving!

We are.....

........We are... officially...



Homeowners!! Hehe if anyone thought that was a pregnancy announcement! November first we finally bought a house! Whoohoo we are thrilled! It's been a long time coming but with our patience we got such a great house, in a kid friendly neighborhood, in a fantastic location. It was actually the first one we looked at. I have been shopping on Zillow for probably two years (driving Jamie nuts with looking and driving past houses) but when I found this one he said ok lets look. I had that appointment set up immediately and we bought it after our second look. We have been LUCKY that our process was smooth and uneventful. Here it is!!!!

EKKS!! I'm so excited! We do have better pictures but hello we are in the middle of a move :) So we officially move in this weekend. Last weekend we had the main floor professionally painted (highly recommend) and this weekend is the moving of the furniture. 

Jackson in the backyard! Funny story: he was sick last week :( Boo but anyways we thought he was better and just being a PITA. So of course on closing day he takes a 15 minute nap. That's right 15 minutes. And then screamed bloody murder for an hour. I was loosing my marbles. But we made it through the closing with the help of some baby Einstein (which we never do by the way but we were desperate). I knew he needed a diaper change but figured we could wait until we got to the house. Well he dumps water all over his shorts before we even get there and then he has an explosion.. and guess what he had thrown the wipes out of the bag... so I manage to get him cleaned up and shorts in the dryer when it happens again...it's all over his (dry) shorts. No wipes and NO more diapers.  I had to put his bottom in a target bag to get him back to our rental house.... I was dying. I hope none of the neighbors saw our white trash baby. Turns out he was still sick :( Poor baby! 

But our first night in the house (we couldn't sleep there) but we ordered pizza, drank the champagne and unpacked a couple boxes! It was so fun eating outside on the deck. Jackson even got to have Dominos!! Probably didn't help his tummy but he inhaled it! 

For those with FOOD ALLERGIES: You can get Gluten Free Cheese and Pepperoni Pizza that is egg and soy free. 

Halloween Fun 2013

Wow a year makes such a difference! It is crazy to look at last year's Halloween. Aww it makes me sad how fast it has gone!! Last year he was around 8 weeks old this year 14 months. This year has been a whole new ball game since he is walking running everywhere. A couple weekends before Halloween we drove 45 minutes away to go to a "real" farm (ok real for Florida not for Indiana but it worked!).

A train ride in the fields! Jackson was very into his snacks..

Hayride! It was 80+ degrees outside hints the outfit change for Jackson.

The corn maze which Jackson loved because he could run around

Checking out the animals

Kissing pumpkins! It was a great day! He feel asleep in the car on the way there (crazy), lasted two hours in the heat, AND went out to eat!! 

The weekend before Halloween Jackson went to TWO Halloween Parties! One at My Gym:

He was a WILD thing at My Gym. While I was nervous because of all the big kids, he was going fully force right along with them. Only one bloody lip and tons of tantrums later :) He did do really well after the first 15 minutes. Then we went to a work Halloween party where he basically slept through it. I wasn't complaining after all that energy he had at the first party.

Then we did some pumpkin painting!

And some Halloween book fun

The finished pumpkin

Halloween!! The Rubbles

Glow stick party! Had a blast chasing after our friends' dog and cat around, stealing hotdogs and playing.

And some Trick or Treating! Jackson lasted about 15 minutes..he couldn't understand why the wagon was stopping. Plus it was about an hour past his bed time. Overall we had a great time!

Memorial Day 2013~First Family Vacation

For Memorial Day weekend, we went down to Longboat Key. Jamie's family was vacationing there so of course we had to go visit :) We got up bright and early Saturday morning, loaded up the car (which much to Jamie's amazement took too long and we had "way" too much stuff), and off we went. We only left 45 minutes late.. not bad! Jackson was a real trooper in the car and screamed for 3 hours of it. He only napped for 1.5. And I had a huge bag of tricks (toys, DVD player, music, food, etc). Needless to say we were really ready for a beer when we got there.


Saturday we attempted to put Jackson in the ocean but he was no having it! But he was really entertained by his little tent and all the sand. We spent the rest of the day (trying to get him to nap- didn't work) and playing in the pool. Jamie and I did get some free time to enjoy some Coronas and swim in the water (plus side of having family there!). We had tacos for dinner and then passed out at..9ish. We were exhausted. BUT Jackson slept for 12 hours!! We couldn't believe it.

We took his suit off in an attempt to get him to nap.. as you see this is what happened!

He loved the pool and this raft!!

Sunday we took Jackson straight to the ocean and he still was not having it. Tried the pool. Nope. Made him nap and while GG babysat Jamie and I swam around in the ocean. The water is soooo clear! It was awesome! Probably had a few cocktails :) Then attempted the ocean with Jackson again and after a slowly getting him used to it, we had success! We spent the rest of the day at the beach and then headed over to BBQ. Jackson was quite the ham with everyone around. He loved Conner's impressions! After we put him down for bed we attempted a date night. It didn't last too long because I didn't feel well- I think it was all the sun and food but who knows.

I love this picture!

So excited!

Monday we headed back to Jacksonville. It was another easy drive.. lots of screaming and NO napping. Sigh. We are really ready for him to start liking the car because in one month we will be driving 6 hours to Atlanta. But overall it was a fantastic trip! Even though Jackson cried (a lot) and was fussy (because he refused to sleep) we still really enjoyed our first family vacation! We can't wait to take more :)