Pentwater

I had been watching the weather diligently for a week as we prepared for our camping trip. The forecast looked like it would be cold but not wet..... how wrong they were! We left Friday after work for a weekend in Pentwater. Years ago we started going up there for a 5K/10K race that took place on Saturday evening. The race has now somehow disappeared ... it was usually such a small race that we both would medal in our age groups. Anyway, we still have gone up (except for last year because I was VERY pregnant and we were moving out of our old house this weekend last year as well). Jackson had been looking forward to camping all week long so to watch his face on the way up there and when we first got there was priceless. The entire ride up I was nervous our trailer would blow over on the highway and we'd cause a terrible accident. The wind didn't end up dying down until Saturday afternoon and we had rain off and on until Saturday afternoon but that didn't seem to ruin the weekend. We all kept saying how thankful we were for a warm trailer this year because every other year we were in tents. It turned out to be a memorable weekend and Sunday was absolutely perfect up there. Now, sadly, we pack up the trailer and wait for next year.

Daddy's Boy

There's just something about Dad right now for Jackson. Whenever Luke is home, the two of them are together. We started painting Jackson's room last week and the two of them finished it off this weekend (I"ll get pictures up soon). Luke had Jackson using the roller to paint and even let him get that last little area on the wall. Jackson was extremely proud of himself. Not only that, but they are two of a kind when it comes to being outside. If there's a reason to be outside, they're outside. Last Sunday, the two of them spent most of the day playing around in the yard. It's so fun to see how alike the two of them are.

Jackson is also claiming that he's such a big boy now because he'll be starting Sunday school! I think that it'll be harder for me than for him because it just seems like such a huge step and soon comes actual school! Well... a little time for that yet. But all of a sudden, he's claiming he's too big for everything... too big to ride in the stroller during walks, too big to play with some toys, too big for everything but hugs and kissses which I'll take as long as I can get them. Because there's one thing that only Mom can do lately... tuck him into bed:)

Three Musketeers

I've been meaning to post this for a week now but of course haven't sat down to upload the pictures. Last week Sunday we got together with Luke's family and the kids had some time to play. It's pretty awesome how the kids are so close in age. Lauryn is 4, Jackson and Trent are both 3 and of course now we have 3 more under the age of 1. Times with the family certainly aren't quiet anymore but there's something special about seeing cousins playing together so well.

Binder Park Zoo

We ended last week with a trip to the zoo. It was a first time experience at Binder Park for all of us. Our good friends Missy and Ryan came along with their three kids so we were officially outnumbered by kids. It was definitely a warm day but we started early and made if a bit past lunch when the kids were starting to get ready for their nap times. All 5 kids did amazing and the highlight of the trip was the giraffes. We went there right away and were able to feed them and see them without swarms of people around. We did learn that it is a good idea to take the tram to the Africa exhibit. We thought it would be too difficult getting 3 strollers and 5 kids along with all of our diaper bags into the tram and the walk was only 1/2 a mile ... we like to run so no problem, right? WRONG! They weren't kidding that it was uphill but the worst part was it was in the woods and we were swarmed by mosquitoes. Lesson learned... take the time to get on the tram:)

9 Months Old

Our little guy has officially been out as long as he was in. Of all the months, this one seems to hit me the most. It's amazing how much our lives has changed in the 18 months that this child has been a part of our lives! God certainly has blessed us with an amazing little guy... although he's not so little anymore!

Brendan is all over the place right now! It's hard to leave the room without him because he will undoubtedly get into something that he shouldn't! Jackson used to get into a lot of things but Brendan is putting him to shame! I am going to have to go out and get more outlet covers as he has found each and every outlet in the house. It's quite fun to watch him scurry off when he thinks that nobody is looking.

His red-headed temper is also starting to come out. If he doesn't get something that he wants, he will start to cry but when he does that, he won't breath for several seconds. The doctor informed me that this may be the start of temper tantrums...yikes!

He still remains to be a really good baby though (although he's not really a baby anymore!). He sleeps like a champ and loves to smile and talk with us. I swear he's already saying "mom" too (even though I know it's just one of his beginning sounds).

Ottawa County Fair

I never thought that I would make an annual trip to the fair. I remember when I was little how my dad would try to convince us to come with him and it was the furthest thing that I considered fun.... now all has changed. Jackson and I have been looking forward to our trip there with Grandpa for awhile and it definitely turned out to be worth it.

This year we let the boys ride on some of the rides and it was hilarious to watch their two personalities. Cohen loves them and his face showed it the entire time! Jackson on the other hand looked petrified on every ride and wouldn't crack a smile or even look at us but when the ride was over, he would run out and say "that was awesome" or "that was so fun." Both boys, despite their differences in showing it, loved the rides.

And of course we visited the animals again and the boys had a great time touching them and talking to them (and yes we did use hand sanitizer A LOT!). Jackson was kind of timid at first but by the end was saying "hi" to each and every animal. We also were excited to have been able to see some of my second cousins there ... Jake, Luke and Jaden were there preparing to show their cows. As much as I hate to say this, I really think that it would be fun to have Jackson participate in that some day BUT we are never going to have animals here so instead we'll just look forward to our yearly trips there:)

Bath Time

We made the big transition from the "duck" tub to the big tub with Brendan this weekend. He still loved his Munchkin duck tub (one of our favorite things for babies!) but with two kids it was getting to be a long process when it was bath night. The first time I put Brendan in the bath seat he screamed so the bath lasted a whole 2 minutes. We tried it again and he cried. By this time I was getting discouraged thinking that it was not the wisest purchase. But after about 10 minutes of his crying he finally started laughing and splashing. It turned out to be such a fun bath time. However, the story doesn't end here. I thought we had overcome the dislike of the bath seat but then I put him in again last night and he screamed. This time the screaming only lasted a couple of minutes but we'll see if we can stop it all together. It sure is easier having both of them in at once and I would hate having to admit that it wasn't a worthwhile purchase:)