Jake's stories

Jake, you tell the best stories. You have an amazing imagination but are only three and therefore your thoughts are a little all over the place. You are learning to tell a really well rounded story from your Daddy but you tell a pretty great story already! Here is a story you told us the other night....

Once upon a time there was a race car. He was lonely and set off to find his friends. The race car stumbled upon Jungle Jakob. Jungle Jakob lived in a house the color amber, it has colored sides and windows. Jungle Jakob helped the animals, he fed them and fixed them up. The animals lived in Africa and so does Jungle Jakob. Other people live in Africa, you know. Jungle Jakob hopped in the race car to help him. The race car found his friends. The End. A T-Rex  chomped the race car but he (Jungle Jakob) popped in there and saved him. The End.

I love this story, I love the detail and I love the random information. Other people live in Africa and the house was the color of amber...how do you even know that's a color? Sometimes you amaze me. 

We love you little Jake-a-doodle and your wild stories!

Lately...

I'm sorry boys, I have been slacking. This little blog is being updated (kind of) but not in the way I was hoping to. I mean sure recording our trips and big events are great but I really need to be better at recording our everyday. The little moments that steal my breath away. Moments that I say I will remember but in the hustle and craziness of life slip my mind. So here I am...saying I'm sorry and promising to be better! Better at recording our life. As Mom, I think that is part of my job description, memory recorder! Ok enough about me and what I haven't been doing...I have a cute story!

Jackson, you learned how to play hide and go seek the other day! It was one of the cutest things I have ever seen. Jake went to hide and you and I went into the living room to count. We sat on the couch, I counted, 1, 2, 3 and you said, 'hu, heh, ha' as I counted...so cute. When we got to ten you shouted 'te!' Then I told you to go find Jakob. You looked at me, cocked your head and said 'jakey?' and I said, "yes, go find Jakey!' you waddled off to look for your brother. You toddled into your room and heard Jake giggle (Jake is terrible at hiding, he just laughs!) You cocked your head and said, 'heh? Jakey?' you saw him behind the chair and pointed. I told you to go around and say 'boo!'. You waddled around, peeked your head around and said, 'BOO!'. You giggled with delight. Jake was a really good sport too, he laughed and you both ran around shouting 'boo!' at each other. It is one of those moments that I will tuck away in my heart. So cute and heart warming. I love you boys and life with you is so fun! 

Jake's first swim lesson

A few year ago we got a pool put in. At first Jake, you had no issue getting in and playing around. We would hold you and pass you back and forth. Then last year you started getting a little bit leery of the water but we put you in your inner tube floaty thing and you would kick all over the pool having a great time. Then something traumatic happened. You and I were going swimming, we have rules for you about not going near the pool without an adult and you have to stay sitting in a chair while we open the cover and clean the pool. While we were getting in, you started freaking our about a bug being in the water, I turned to take care of it and when I turned back around you had fallen off of the step and were under water...scary. I grabbed you up, you coughed and were fine. We got in the water, both a little shaken up but fine. We played in the pool a few more times that season and I thought you would be ok. 

Well a few weeks ago we got in the pool for the first time this season. You were a wreck! You cried and sobbed clung to who ever was holding you. Fear had gripped your little heart. There was no reasoning with you, you were sure you were going to sink. You had even started hating getting your hair washed and taking baths...oh no. I grew up swimming, being on a swim team, taking swim lessons, teaching swim lessons and being a life guard. I had seen my fair share of water aversion but not I had to deal with it head on. You knowing how to swim is VERY important to us. So, I did some reading, looked over my old swim lessons and tapped into my motherly intuition. I love knowing you, we are very much a like and I am your mama, we are together 24/7 pretty much. I know you. So, I prepped you yesterday. I offered to start your lessons and you said that today you would start them, I knew you would need warning and time to prep, you don't do spontaneous. So today, you had it in your mind that we were starting swim lessons, you got dressed headed down to the pool with out a hitch. I was staying positive in my head. I went over the pool rules with you and you listened intently. Then we walked over to the steps together. You wanted me to carry you in, but that wouldn't have been safe. You didn't like that and this happened.....

You got up and walked away. I got in and reassured you. You were freaking out, like almost hyperventilating, freaking out! You walked over to the side of the pool, took a deep breath and let me bring you in. You wrapped your arms around my neck and you legs around my waist. Then you freaked out some more. You cried for about 5 minutes. Then you started to relax. We bounced in the water like we were on the moon. We sang a song and blew bubbles with our mouths. You even unwrapped your arms and legs so you could kick and paddle with me still holding you close to me. Baby steps! So after we finished the 'lesson' you gave me two thumbs up! Great! Thats a successful swim lesson. Leaving with smiles! We are going to try to do lessons at least three times a week, it not more. I really want swimming to become a regular thing for you and to not loose any momentum. Just chug away, baby steps and hopefully you will at least love to be in the pool by the end of the summer if not swimming! 

I heave learned that my role is more of a comforting, supportive role. I can not force you to do it or it just gets worse. You are brave and choose to overcome your fear and it's my job just to support you and calm you to make those decisions. 

I'm excited to you to overcome your fear and learn to swim. I know you will love it! 

Family Pictures

Taking family pictures is always an adventure. One boy is cranky, Mommy is trying to get everyone in nice light, then another boy decides he's afraid of the ocean, and we're racing the sun. Crazy! Uncle Alex took these with our camera and I am really happy with the way they turned out. This is an important beach so I'm really thankful to have some family pictures of us on this beach. I had hard time choosing my favorites so, here they are...all of my favorites.

I feel so grateful to have had Alex take our pictures. Being a photographer I know the importance of freezing time with a photograph. I will cherish these forever! 

I was so excited to get some of just Erik and I too. Here are your ridiculous and in love parents. 

I'm so glad that we captured the love of our family to look back on for years and year to come. 

Easter 2013

I tried really hard this easter to explain the Easter story as best as I could to a three and one year old. The Easter story is difficult to explain, full of violence and death. I focused mostly on the life giving aspect. That Jesus loves you so much and because of what he did, you can life with Him in heaven someday, and he gave us the Holy Spirit too! We used resurrection eggs to help tell the story with symbols, I think it really helped. I try so hard to keep holidays focused on the true reason we celebrate them but I wasn't going to not give you an easter basket. So here you are busting into your easter baskets...

Jake dug right in and Jake was a little confused. 

But Jack got a ball so he was pretty excited!

Grandma gave you easter baskets too! 

Jake, I love that you sit and pull each thing out, look at it, get excited about it and then move onto the next thing!

Jack, you just find one thing and forget about the rest of the basket. 

This time you favored a cup!

waiting to go hunt eggs

Jax has figured out how to open doors, help me!

Telling Grandma to hurry!

Jake peeking!

closing his eyes tight!

and he's off!

You collected lots of eggs

you were a very good brother and you would leave easy ones for Jack

Jack, it took you a few times to figure out what we were doing

I think you thouht we were crazy

you loved shaking the eggs

and you figured out where you were supposed to put the eggs!

Cute egg hunting boy!

little egg shaking stinker!

determined to find more eggs

"I found it, I'm the winner"

Mama and Jax

Look at all those eggs!

mama love

checking out their loot

Jax cracks me up in this picture! "I have candy!!"

Goofy boy

He's walking...short distances and only when he wants. 

checking out all of the candy

attempting to get the boys together for a picture

they weren't having it

this is the best we can do now

and he's off!

Easter was great. I feel so blessed that we have great family to love and be with. Your Great Uncle Jerry was with us. Uncle Steve and Grandma too. Your Daddy was off of work so we just spent the day hanging out, enjoying each others company, being thankful that death has been overcome!