We'll miss you

easy decorations

I cut eight of these from black cardstock today and taped them on the window. I traced them from a bat I found online somewhere, had to make it a little bigger. Then at night, with the inside lights on, you'll see a bat sillhouette. Right now these are our only Halloween decorations, besides some pumpkins inside. I still want to tie some corn stalks (that we grew in the backyard) to the front post and that will be it for the decorations. Good enough for me.

Get well soon...

It's hard to believe that Jeff was just over here helping us paint our house 12 days ago and now he's in the hospital in critical condition.

I feel like we are in a movie and I want to fast forward, but can't.

...I really hope this part of the movie has a happy ending.

Jeff, my husband's brother, somehow got a brain infection, which has caused swelling and seizure complications. He also has pneumonia and is not breathing well. The doctors are concerned and we are also very concerned for him.

...Jeff, I just wish you'd get well soon.

still more from the pumpkin patch

Being shy.

A pumpkin he could carry.

High fives.

drawing

The other day Jackson and I went and visited Dan at the fire station. Jackson got to do some drawing on the white board.

more from the pumpkin patch

Look at this picture, last year of Wyatt giving Jackson a hug too.

Pumpkin Patch

Yesterday we did our annual pumpkin patch trip. Lots of fun again. Here is last year's picture.

I took a bunch of pictures, so I'll add more later once I go through them all.

background

Got an idea from Jen Thompson to make spots for things on your computer background. Here is my attempt.

I like it. It organizes the folders just enough, so they aren't all in one line along the edge. Then I'll just change the center picture whenever I feel like it.

paint prep

We've been busy getting prepping and painting the outside trim of our house. The siding is still fine, but the wood trim was peeling badly. Jackson had fun helping too. Here he is helping Daddy.

And here helping Uncle Jeff.

Taking a break with everyone too.

summersault

Jackson was playing on the floor and was doing summersaults on his own.

chalk

I wasn't paying attention to where Jackson was writing... oops

stop at the park

I went running this morning and Jackson just wasn't in the mood for it. He looks happy in the picture below, but that wasn't the case in the jogger. So we stopped at the park to play a little. He was sad when we left, but half way home he fell asleep. I think that was just what he needed.

It was pretty cold this morning, so he's wearing his new winter coat.

lots of fun

Wyatt came over and the two of them had a good time on the new play structure.

18 months

Jackson turned 18 months (1 1/2 years) last week. I need to get some actual 18 month pictures of him, but in the mean time, I wanted to write these down.

Here are some things I thought of that Jackson is doing now:

• Still loves playing outside, but now calls for "doggy" to come in and out with him.
• Saying new words still all the time and still occasionally will sign a new word. Just signed play for the first time the other day when he was asking if he could go play with some other boys at a wedding.
• Used to always say "gaga" for banana. And now he learned to say "nana" from watching Elmo. Funny that Elmo got him to say it closer to the actual word.
• Says "leche", but won't say milk. He still signs milk most of the time though, and he'll sign it in the middle of the night and I can't see, but I can hear his hand moving so I know.
• Also just started saying thank you instead of always signing it.
• Pretends to talk on the phone. He must have some funny friends, because he laughs hard on the phone.
• Loves Elmo's World and sings the theme song, "lala lala Elmo" is what he says.
• Wants to do things on his own, like stairs, eating with a fork.