a new favorite? maybe.

I just finished David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. It was absolutely fabulous! I think anybody who enjoys classic literature will love this book. For me, when I read a lot of books I have found that I mostly want to get to the end, to find out what the climax is, how it will happen, and then to know. I find that I race through these books for them just to be over. I just love endings I guess. With David Coppperfield though I found that I'd often set the book down in my lap just to think about it. I loved the whole world that he lived in. I loved all of the characters. I just can't say enough.

On a side note. I love names that mean something. I love family names, and scripture names, and names from my favorite characters in books. I have often told Brent that I'd love to have a "sweet sweet Melanie" (Gone with the Wind). Agnes is a new Melanie to me. I really wish I liked the name a little more because I love her role as the angel always pointing upwards.

Oh I also read another book before this one but I forgot to mention it and unfortunately forgot what it was called. I know that's bad. About a girl who falls in love with her imaginary friend. It was like a day read but I enjoyed it. Just no lasting impression.

It wasn't a dream!

You may or may not remember my nightmare soul crushing post where I cleaned but then realized it was all a dream. Well today it was all real! I washed 3 loads of clothes and put them all away, cleaned out the car (which was no small task on its own), washed the dishes and put them away. I know its not much for normal people but for me these days it was huge.

So when Jackson asked, as he does every day, "mommy, good day?"

I could easily say, "yeah buddy! good enough to cut up half a watermelon for just the two of us."

Well, except for feeling totally skammed by a Farragut fundraiser. Six bucks for 9 pieces of candy! really?!?!

July 4th

I think i had more fun with Jackson this year on the 4th than i remember having as a kid. We just kinda talked about it a lot with jackson and had more fun with it. These are hats we made for fhe monday night.

They have a kid parade every year in Brents old neighborhood so we went to that. The kids decorate their own bikes and stuff and ride behind a firetruck that comes every year. It was really a lot of fun.

So i'm feeling bad after reading other blogs about their kids loving fireworks. We were all prepared to keep jackson up, but then I was exhausted. We just went home and went to bed. pathetic huh? oh well. We loved celebrating our country all day!

I just wanted to post

Life has really slowed down here. i'm sick and crazy exhausted. I haven't taken pictures recently so I'll just post a picture from when we were in Alabama a few weeks ago. This is Jackson asleep on my parents boat. We were all skiing so I find it pretty amazing that he fell asleep out there. (The next week he fell asleep on the lazy river at splash country.)

Maybe we were pushing him too hard? Maybe its a good thing we've slowed down.

I'm pregnant!!

So a few of you know just how exciting that phrase is it to say. We are absolutely thrilled. I'm horrible at keeping it a secret. I know lots of people don't tell until after the first trimester. I haven't even been to my first appointment yet so I don't even have a real due date. Our guess is late January or early February. I've thought for a while now about the different ways of announcing it on the blog. The truth is though, I've gotten sicker sooner and frankly I feel my creative energies, as well as all other energy has been zapped out the window. So I'll share the differences between the first and second pregnancies.

Typical early pregnancy snack right?

This time around with a little twist.
And what happens when we share a snack with a 2 year old? That's right, a cracker in our drink.

Thankfully there's no picture for the second story. No more throwing up alone. Jackson was right there with me, holding his own hair, trying to do the same. yuck. I know.

Early Father's Day

This video is for Jackson's papas, both of them. Grandpa Barnes because he wants videos and pictures for holidays. Grandpa Hutchison, well for many obvious reasons, but not the least of which is he sang this song to Jackson the first day they met. Now I sing A LOT of songs to Jackson A LOT of the time but I think its appropriate that this was the first song he learned.

I wonder

How many moms say this. "Now if you pick up your toys you can help me sweep and mop" and then the child actually squeal and giggle in delight.
It just makes this feel so long ago.