mildly inappropriate

this was jackson's first time to take a shower. (he's been taking baths with sam.) i'd say he was enjoying himself.

Happy Birthday Sam!

He's 2! I really thought he looked the same as last year but now that I look again, he is kinda huge now. This is probably the last year of doing all the partying on Jackson's birthday and going low key on Sam's. We did get cute pictures of him though which in my book is how you prove a child had a birthday. Happy Birthday buddy!

part of his loot (backpack, coloring book, sunglasses) He is so different from Jackson when he opens presents. Jackson is all about the next present and ready to toss each gift aside. Sam was bothered when Jackson would give him his next gift because he just wanted to play with what he just opened.

Another view of Jacksons amazing candle blowing skills.

So this was on Jackson's birthday but its just a cute video of Sam.

Jackson's 5?

I had a blast on Jackson's birthday. This is him and his friend Hannah Kramer decorating the cake. Jackson asked for a chocolate strawberry cake. When I was trying to figure out how to make such a cake with his grandma and aunt nienie he told me exactly how to make it, with strawberries in between the layers and strawberries on top.Dipping animal crackers in leftover frosting.
it turned into this. the things you get away with on your birthday.
The finished cake. The strawberries on top are in the shape of a 5.
Ok, this was my favorite part of the day. My gym has an indoor pool. We'd never been but it was a BLAST!! It felt so good on my pregnant body plus seeing the kids have so much fun was well worth the little bit of extra effort to get there. It was also so exciting to see Jackson swimming so well. (He's not touching) Can you find Sam? I'm probably a bad mom but he is so good at swimming independently with his float.

I am so so disappointed the audio didn't record for some reason on this video. I guess it screams for some sort of video music montage but it might be worth watching without sound. Sorry, its shaking because I was laughing.

Jackson's practicing for the primary program

my favorite part is when Jesus anointed that prophet in his ear.

The great outdoors

Amazingly, I convinced Brent to go camping with our friends the Kramers. He's not really a camper. In fact, he slept on a blow up mattress in the van but still, he went. We had so much fun. Even Brent will confess to that. We had running water and bathrooms, picnic tables and sites right next to the car--not exactly primitive but roughing it. Jackson, who is nervous about standing on the stage at church climbed this rock and told me to take a picture. He was very proud of himself. He also go to try a hand at fishing which he'd been wanting to do for a while.
Brent's fish. Can you see it?
....and....the salamander. What can I say beside I told you so. He's gross.

Jackson's awesome!

jackson showed me this trick at dinner last night. when brent asked him to turn him into three he tried real hard bust said he could only do two.

and if you're bored, and i mean really bored, you might like this. just so you, i am not good with animals (or children evidently) and i'm talking like it's the apocalypse. but it did remind me of this other funny video.

chattanooga

i was so happy that brent was able to go and serve in the clean-up in chattanooga. it was really hard on jackson though because it seems like he's been really busy on the last few weekends. when we were talking about what he'd be doing this is what he said.

jackson: i wish i could go with daddy and help the people.
mom: wow jackson i'm so happy that you want to help other people. thats so good!
j: [sounding very annoyed] you're happy that i'm sad. thats not very nice.

so what did brent do in chattanooga?

you can't tell in the video but that was a cicada that he ate. even in a group of men, brent will still out gross them all. he told me, "i can never turn down an eating contest." he also out ate all of the youth group at cici's this year. it was something like 20 pieces of pizza and 20 cinnamon rolls. needless to say, i am so proud.

if you needed an image to add to the grossness of it this is a picture of a tree covered in cicadas.

do you want to see sam?

i posted something like this yesterday along with other posts to be scheduled out but they were all deleted. did y'all have any problems with blogger recently?

this is sam. sweet. happy. cheerful. sam. he spends his days playing with balls. careful though, he will throw them. he is mostly walking these days. he started saying "uh oh" which he says in the cutest little way. his "oh" sounds like either a canadian or minnesota accent (i get them confused but its cute.) he loves to feel a part of things. when jackson and i were watching tangled last week sam would loudly laugh whenever we did. he loves to be thrown backwards. when you hold him, you must hold on tight because he will throw himself backwards so that you'll dangle him upside down. very nerve wracking.

not only can sam walk

he can roll!

pledge of allegiance

i'd say its a step

since he's never had anything but sips of water from a cup til now. its soy milk. if you were curious. odd huh?

good hearty laughs

i love fall. i love having two boys. have i mentioned this before?

he's on the move

i LOVED a happy stationary baby but its also fun to see him crawling.

The giving tree

.I told Jackson I had to do dishes so I couldn't play (two posts in row of me putting him off to clean!) He told me he was going to read to me.

PS It's really quiet.

I hope that giving is always practiced in our home. My lesson: give my time.

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.