Halloween 08

Halloween has been fun this year for sure! At first, all Jakson wanted to be was a "big brother". Then he saw Toy Story (not sure why he hadn't seen it yet?) and fell in love with Buzz Lightyear! So then we changed gears on costume buying and found a great one. Then, Jakson decided that Payton needed a costume--we had to explain that we couldn't put a costume on him while he was in Mommy's tummy. I started thinking, and remembered a Baby Story episode I had seen a long time ago where a couple of moms all due in the winter had their hubbies paint their tummies to look like pumpkins. I suggested the idea to Jakson and he was so excited! Payton could have a costume after all! So it started out as a great art project and bonding for Jakson and Payton, but soon turned into a masterpiece by Daddy when Jakson lost interest in the painting....



Jakson giving Payton a kiss before we got started--he does this all the time--I hope it lasts! :-)



Jakson painting on Payton's pumpkin.



And Daddy taking over when Jakson decided he would rather play baseball with Poppy :-)



Mommy, Payton, and Jakson all dressed up and arriving at our church's fall festival. (Didn't Daddy do a great job?)



Daddy, Mommy, and Payton--everyone just loved his "costume" and thought that it was great!



"Buzz" flying on one of the kiddie rides (the main reason why Jakson likes Buzz, because he flies!)



Daddy and Jakson going on a hayride!



Jakson getting a ride from Daddy--isn't that just the most precious face ever?!



Jakson riding another kiddie ride--anything he can do to "fly"!!

Texas State Fair 08

We went to the Texas State Fair with Rory's family and had a great time! Jakson and Ashtyn loved all the animals and the "big" boys loved the car show. Us girls just enjoyed the great weather and the time spent together! :-)



Rory, Jakson, Bana, and Ashtyn checking out some of the animals.



Mommy, Jakson, and Daddy in the kids zoo area having fun!



Jakson really enjoyed getting to feed the animals this year--of course, the goats are always the easiest to feed! :-)



Hey! I'm doing it all by myself!!



Isn't this fun Daddy?!



Jakson posing with one of the puppets from a really cool puppet show we saw.



And then there are the "big" boy toys to look at... :-)

Father/Son Time

Rory and Jakson went to the air show as a special Father/Son outing and really had a blast! Rory just loves teaching Jakson anything he can, and Jakson is such a little sponge, that he loves to soak it all in!


Jakson showing off the plane Daddy got for him!



Eating lunch, but always still watching..."Hey Daddy! Look!"



Daddy and Jakson having a great time!



So much fun--he didn't even make it out of the parking lot!! :-)

He is 4 for 4!!!

Some of you may not know that Rory has been working this year on his architect's licensing exams. There are 9 in total and they are not easy. He took his fourth two weeks ago. The picture is a little hard to see, but that is a screen-shot of Rory's test results...and there are 4 passes down that right-hand column!! Yay!! He just found out today, and this was a really big one to get out of the way, one that most people really struggle with. I am so proud of Rory and how hard he has worked--God has really honored his perseverance, good attitude, and faith in this situation with great success so far! He is basically half-way, just 5 more to go! :-)

First Camping Trip

This weekend Rory decided to surprise Jakson with a backyard camping trip! He is really trying to spend special one-on-one time with him since he is traveling so much. Also, we want to soak up all the time we can with just him before Payton arrives! It was so sweet, Rory got everything set up in the backyard while Jakson was napping, and when he got up, Rory took him out to the backyard. He was beside himself and came running inside to tell me that he and Daddy were going to sleep outside tonight! You couldn't wipe the smile off his face! We went to church and then when we got home, the boys got to camping!



Jakson all ready in his glow-in-the-dark jammies and flashlight!



Ready to go with his monkey buddy (I told you that you couldn't wipe the smile off his face!)



Showing off the glow stick Daddy got him--green of course, his favorite color!



The boys in their tent, excited for the adventure!



Mommy made a "camping worthy" dinner--cheesy cresent dogs, chips, and apple juice! I don't know that Jakson would have eaten smores, so when they were done with dinner, Daddy called me (yes he had his cell in the tent, so he wouldn't have to leave) and I put cookies in the oven. I had to deliver cookies twice per Jakson's request (I denied the third one! :-)



They had the portable DVD player in the tent to watch Alvin and the Chipmunks and Cars. (Yes Jakson stayed awake for both. Daddy, not so much!) Isn't this picture just the sweetest?! By the way, Rory said that Jakson never let go of that glow stick! It was pretty cool, I could sort of tell what they were doing by looking out the windows: glow stick moving around, they were playing; glow stick still, they were chillin'!



Some sweet pics Daddy got of their fun time!



The morning after--BOTH are still all smiles!! I snuck outside around midnight to check on them and Rory was asleep and Jakson was lying on his tummy still watching Cars! He didn't hear me, so I snuck back inside. A bit later I could hear Rory talking to him and I could tell that he had shut off the movie. Rory told me that Jakson crashed pretty quick after Rory finally said "lights out" and slept really well all night!



It was such a pretty morning that I made them a "camping worthy" breakfast to enjoy a little more time together in the tent--Pop Tarts and milk! :-)



They had a great time and I think are going to try and camp a few more times before it gets too cold and before Payton comes--easy entertainment, but so many fun memories made! Rory already has ideas for things he wants to do the next time. It melts my heart to see how precious my boys are and I am so blessed to have such a wonderful man as a father and husband to this family! I can't wait to add another little man to the mix! :-) (Plus, Rory has buddies to get his outdoor fixes with since Mommy isn't the most outdoorsy girl on the block! :-)

My new ride!

The lease was up on my old truck and this is what we replaced it with! It is a 2009 Dodge Journey RT and I just love it! It has a lot of mini-van storage features without being a mini-van.






We had a DVD player installed about a week after we got it. We had a portable one in the old truck that was on its last leg and decided that an overhead mounted one that little hands couldn't really reach would last longer! :-) Here is Jakson in the "DVD zone" the day we picked it up.

Practicing...

My sweet baby has made my heart melt again...the other night we were talking and we asked him what he wanted to be for Halloween. He immediately responded, "A big brother!" Rory and I just looked at each other with the biggest smiles on our faces and I had tears in my eyes! Every day Jakson talks about what he is going to do when Payton comes, or how he is going to help, or what he is going to share with him. It is nice to have that reassurance that we aren't ruining his life and that he is ready for this!



Jakson trying to be a big boy in one of Daddy's shirts!



My OB office held a reception for my midwife to celebrate National Midwifery Week and she invited past and current patients. The local paper was there interviewing everyone and took a bunch of pictures, which I think will be published next week (which is the actual holiday week). Anyways, this is Jakson at the reception "holding" my good friend and co-worker, Tracey's, 2 month old baby, Emma. He did not want to let go of her, and insisted on holding her hand the whole time! He was so sweet!

Payton's Room

Obviously not all finished yet, but my talented husband has finished the painting part (except for minor touch-ups) in Payton's room! It took a lot of time and several color changes, but I think the end result turned out really cute! Don't have the crib skirt yet for the crib (it is blue with the polka-dot trim like the quilt) and we are going to have the chair recovered by the same people who made it, but this at least gives you an idea!

25wk baby bump update

Here is a picture of me and Payton at 25wks! I got this shirt from my hospital's new baby boutique and just love what it says: Winter Blessing! So simply stated, yet says so well how we feel!

Trip to Indianapolis

After 3 1/2 years of living and breathing this project right along side Rory (yes he started this project right after Jakson was born), we were blessed enough for me to be able to take a long trip with Rory up to Indy and see all his hard work come to fulfillment! We went in August for the opening week of activities (the weather was beautiful!) and really just had a great time just the two of us!



The view from our hotel room (this is the hotel Rory stays at every time he goes, which has been weekly for months now). Rory made sure that we got one of the special end suite rooms so I could have this view that he often gets when he goes. It was awesome!





Rory was able to take me on a private tour of the stadium and we went wherever we wanted! This is the inside of the Colts owner's family suite and was just crazy with posh details!



The view from the outside seating area of the owner's family suite.





The view from the outside seating area of the quarterback suite. The stage they are setting up on the field was for the Grand Opening that we attended that night.


This is me inside the Colts locker room showers!!! :-) Notice how high the shower heads are placed!!





Rory in front of the Colts lockers in the locker room--they were made of some special wood that was flown in from overseas--$$$$


The welcome that was on the jumbotrons when we entered the stadium that night for the Grand Opening Gala ($250/ticket--luckily Rory and I were invited to come by his firm and they took care of the bill!)





Rory and I standing at the edge of the Lucas Oil plaza looking out over the field, all dressed up! Not bad for 21wks prego! :-)




I still think we've got that Ken and Barbie look that we used to be teased for...well, maybe plus a few pounds...oh well :-)



A view of just one of the food areas that were set up all around the main level concourse, each one had a different theme. It reminded us of "cruise food"!


Rory and I in our seats waiting for the show to start. The show had multiple musical performances (Steven Stills, John Cougar Mellencamp, Unity Youth Choir and Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra), a showcase of just a few of the groups that will be using the stadium, pyrotechnics, and a fireworks finale. It was great!


Rory's coworkers all dressed up and excited to be celebrating their great acheivement!


Joe Theisman, Courtney, and Rory!! He was the master of ceremonies for the show and we were lucky enough to catch him out on the field after the show for a pic and autograph!


Rory and I standing against the goalpost--it was pretty awesome to know that we got to be out on the field before even the players did--they did not return from training camp until two days later.


Rory in front of the Lucas Oil monster truck--we got this one for Jakson!


The view from our hotel room that night when we got back--pretty awesome with everything all lit up inside and out!


We also got to go out to Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the museum there. Rory got a real treat when we found out that they were having special tours that day of all the areas of the speedway, including a lap around the track!


Us in front of the main street entrance to the speedway.


Rory "kissing the bricks" which is a long-standing tradition for NASCAR drivers and their teams to do when they win a race at Indy.


Rory and I standing on the bricks (which serve as the start/finish line) looking down the front stretch of the racetrack. It is pretty cool--Jakson got to take laps around Texas Motor Speedway in utero during Laps for Charity and now our 2nd little man got to take a lap around Indianapolis Motor Speedway in utero! :-)


Rory and I in victory lane!!


Us in the actual museum which had a ton of racing history that even I was interested in! :-)


We felt so blessed to be able to take this trip so that Rory could show me where he has poured his blood, sweat, and tears for the past several years. Also, it was a nice little "babymoon" for us before baby #2 arrives! By the way, we decided on a name while we were on this trip--Payton James! James is after Rory's grandfather who he is really close to and Payton, we just liked! :-)