The Jarretts

Pumpkin Carving 2011

2011-10-23T15:46:00.009-05:00

Fall Soccer 2011

2011-10-23T15:00:00.002-05:00

Jackson played fall soccer for the 1st time this year. He just finished his season and he really enjoyed it. Their team was full of almost all 1st time players, so there was a serious learning curve. But they all did a great job. Jackson had 2 goals at the first game and one at the next to last game. And Dave was able to be the assistant coach for his team too!

Apple Fest 2011- at Schwartz Farms

2011-10-16T16:08:00.010-05:00

New Haircut

2011-10-15T21:57:00.006-05:00

We are scheduled to have family pictures taken on Friday (October 21st), so I decided it was time to see if my hair was long enough to donate . . . and it was!! So I got a new haircut on Friday, October 14th and donated almost 10 inches to Children with Hair Loss.

Fire Station Open House 2011

2011-10-12T22:15:00.008-05:00

Our local fire station does an open house every year during "Fire Prevention Week". It is so fun . . . the kids get to climb into all the different trucks, try on the gear, put out pretend fires with real water tanks and more. We have a great friend that is a fireman, who has shown us around the station the last couple of years. As we left the station, Jackson says, "It is so cool that Mr. Bryan is a fireman. It was AWESOME tonight!!" Jackson and Kinsey then pretended to be a fireman/woman for several days, saving their baby dolls and stuffed animals, talking about our emergency plan, etc. It left quite the impact!! : )

Jackson's NEW room

2011-07-12T22:15:00.010-05:00

In preparation for Jackson going to kindergarten this fall, we had planned at some point over the summer to move him to his own room and to put the girls into a room together. Looking at our crazy schedule and my parent's schedule (so they could watch everyone over night for us to actually accomplish the task), this past weekend was the best option. He was all excited about the idea of having his own room . . . he remembered all the Cards decor (that had once been on his walls) and saw the new Cars bedding that I picked up on Black Friday last year. But the week of, it started to sink in that he would be ALL ALONE in his new room . . . the excitement ended for a few days!!! Excitement resumed when he saw the new room!! We still have to reassure him a bit at bedtime, but he has done GREAT! To finish the room, we need to put up valances and add the trim piece that goes under the "display shelf" that Dave made. The dresser and headboard were pieces of the crib. The bed rails, box spring and mattress came from my Grandma Mary and most of the memorabilia came from giveaways/promotions from St. Louis Cardinals games.

Kinsey and Kayleigh's NEW Room

2011-07-12T21:53:00.012-05:00

We took down the crib and said "good-bye" to babyland. Kayleigh (17 1/2 months) moved to the bottom bunk of the bunkbeds and Kinsey (3 1/2 years) moved up to the top bunk. Kinsey's one request was a PINK room . . . we found some new matching bedding at Kohls way on sale and revamped some of the decorations we already had (paint on a shelf, makeover of a picture frame, etc.) to pull it all together. When Kinsey saw the room, she squealed and started hugging the walls!! Kayleigh has done AWESOME in her "big girl" bed and Kinsey has done well overnight on the top bunk (naps on her brother's bed haven't gone quite as well, but we're still working on it). We still have to put up a valance and make a scripture/name art for Kayleigh.

Swim Lessons

2011-07-11T21:35:00.002-05:00

The past two weeks we have been at the pool every morning for Jackson's lessons (which finish on Thursday) and every evening for Kinsey's (hers finished tonight).

Jackson has LOVED swim lessons and really could have used to have been challenged a bit more. Kinsey liked playing at the pool, but not so much the bobbing in the water or swimming in the deep end. Kayleigh got to spend some fun time in her stroller watching everyone : ) She did well despite the HOT weather (especially the last couple days).

Room Makeovers

2011-07-10T23:07:00.007-05:00

Kayleigh's last morning waking up in her crib!! How can she be this big already!!

The bedrooms BEFORE:

4th of July

2011-07-05T23:21:00.016-05:00

We went to the 4th of July parade (where we collected a LOT of candy) and all the kids ran in the foot races afterwards. Kinsey finished, but didn't place . . . she ran while watching everyone lining the road cheering on the runners! Claire placed 2nd, Blake placed 2nd and Jackson won 1st!! We had a cookout at my parents with both sides of our family (so everyone could visit with the Warner's while they were here from FL). We came back home that night before fireworks so we would be home for swim lessons the next morning. We watched them with friends here in town.

Fun at Grammy & Papa's

2011-07-05T22:00:00.000-05:00

My sister and her kids came up from FL to visit the week before the 4th of July. Here are some pictures from our fun week together!!

Jackson's Last Tball Game

2011-06-24T22:30:00.011-05:00

Our Kids

2011-06-22T22:00:00.000-05:00

Kinsey loves to "read" to Kayleigh, if she'll stop long enough to listen. She LOVED Pinkalicious. So sweet!!

Activate Creature Power Suit . . . Peregrine Falcon! Jackson LOVES a show on PBS called "Wild Kratts". They teach you fun facts, habitat, diet, etc. on a variety of animals. It is educational and a great creative spring board too : )

Front Porch Makeover

2011-06-10T22:10:00.006-05:00

David spent another Friday working on a home improvement project . . . our front porch!! It turned out GREAT!! I once again forgot to do a "before" picture, so here is one from a few years ago that I cropped in. And then of course the "after". He took down the old railing and installed new vinyl and added the side rail. He also installed new outside light fixtures, but you can't see them in the "after" picture.

Jackson's Tball Game-#6

2011-06-10T22:06:00.004-05:00

Jackson had a makeup game on Wednesday night for a rain-out game a few weeks ago. He played short-stop and did a great job! Kinsey was cheering on the Rockies and putting on quite a show during the game!! : )

Jackson's Tball Game-#5

2011-06-07T20:08:00.009-05:00

Jackson had his 5th t-ball game on Monday night . . . it was another HOT one!! His buddy Nathan had the game before ours so we took the opportunity to take a picture together in their uniforms. They play each other their very last game the end of June!! Jackson had 3 great hits last night and got lots of outs at 2nd base . . . once he realized he had to actually have the baseball in his glove to tag a player out! : )

Jackson's Tball Game-#4

2011-06-03T22:15:00.009-05:00

Jackson had his 4th t-ball game tonight . . . and it was a HOT one!! He did a GREAT job hitting . . . . especially the 2nd & 3rd inning when Daddy was pitching to him!! And he played short-stop again. I let Kayleigh out to run around before Jackson's game started and then put her back in the stroller at end end of the 1st inning . . . and yes, bribed her with fruit loops and popcorn! We were all red faced by the end of the night . . . Papa came down for Jackson's game and took us all out for ice cream afterwards, so we could cool off : )

Back Patio Remodel

2011-06-03T22:05:00.004-05:00

We had been talking for a while about expanding our back patio to make a little more room to eat outside and for the kids to play. A few weeks ago on a Friday morning, Dave decided to tackle that project! Unfortunately, I didn't take a "before" picture (only a "during"), to see that he tore out the landscaping that lined the patio . . . it had been highly neglected and just wasn't how we would best use the space. So extending the patio was a great option . . . and it turned out awesome!! We have eaten outside MANY times already!!

Our Princess Kinsey-3 1/2 years old

2011-05-26T22:00:00.008-05:00

Kinsey is our fun, passionate, and expressive little princess. She is definitely wired to be a "performer" . . . she LOVES to dance and sing . . . especially if she is wearing a dress that "twirls" (which is pretty much all she will agree to wear). She told Dave on a "daddy-daughter" date a few weeks ago that she wants to "sing on the stage" when she gets big. We are planning to sign her up for dance lessons this fall, she has been asking for months now. She is also our biggest "snuggler" and is very affectionate. Kinsey can be sassy and strong-willed, but her sweet smile and fun nature wins out every time! Love this girl so much!!

3 1/2 year checkup at health department: 31 lbs (50%), 40 inches (90%).

Day @ St. Louis Zoo

2011-05-23T23:22:00.015-05:00

The kids have been anxious to visit the zoo this spring. We promised to take them some Friday after Dave got back from Haiti and this past Friday was our first opportunity.
We had talked with them about some different animals that they wanted to learn a little more about before we visited them at the zoo. So we did some research online, looked at pictures and videos, read books about elephants, komodo dragons, stingrays, bonnethead and nurse sharks, penguins, bats, orangutans, and tigers.

Kinsey's favorites were the 2 baby elephants, the baby girafee and the penguins. Jackson's favorite was petting the stingrays (over and over), seeing the bonnethead and nurse sharks in the tank with the stingrays, the Cheetah, and the Komodo Dragon (and other reptile friends in the "Snake House"). Kayleigh's favorite (or as best as we could tell) was the penguins. She kept pointing at them and waving hi! : ) She also really liked the ride on the train!! It was a beautiful day and the kids were awesome . . . so well behaved and excited to see all the animals they had learned about!! We will definitely be preparing for our trips to the zoo this way in the future . . . such an enjoyable day!!

McDonald's Reopening

2011-05-23T23:09:00.010-05:00

Our McDonald's closed on Valentine's Day, was torn down, rebuilt and open again in 87 days! And in a small town in Southern IL, it has been quite the excitement!! This past Thursday was the "Opening Day" with lots of free activities all weekend. We took the kids up there Thursday night for free pony rides, pictures in the cockpit of a F4 Phantom and meeting Ronald McDonald. Then we came back on Saturday for a petting zoo . . . grizzly bear cub, liger (lion-tiger mix), antelope, buffalo, goats, cow, spotted-deer and more.

Jackson's Tball Games-#2 & #3

2011-05-23T22:49:00.009-05:00

Jackson had 2 games this past week due to the rain out last Saturday. So we came with sweatshirts and blankets on Tuesday night and in tank tops and shorts on Saturday! What weather we have had this spring . . . crazy! On Tuesday, Jackson played the "Pitcher" position, he didn't make it to 1st base, because of a really good 1st baseman who got him out all 3 innings. On Saturday, he played short-stop and did a great job batting!

Jackson's 1st T-ball Game

2011-05-14T21:26:00.018-05:00

Jackson had his 1st t-ball game on Friday night. He was SO excited!!!! He had his baseball bag all packed and in the van ready to go WAY ahead of time!! He did such a good job too!! His team was up to bat first . . . they go through the whole line-up once each inning (3 innings total). He hit off the tee the 1st and 3rd innings, but the coach pitched to him in the 2nd and he hit the first pitch!!!! He played 1st base and did a good job fielding the ball. Dave had to get him to focus a bit during the 2nd inning . . . if the ball was hit to anyone else on the field he checked out . . . not thinking about them wanting to throw it to him at 1st base : ) His game for today was rained out and rescheduled for next week.

Sonshine School Graduation

2011-05-10T22:39:00.009-05:00

Jackson graduated from Sonshine School tonight. He was in the Red Class this year (hence the red tassel). They sang a few songs, did the pledges and received a certificate and Bible. He did a great job! Hard to believe he is done with preschool and ready for Kindergarten. And boy is he ready . . . he wants to go tomorrow!! : ) I had to explain that he had to wait until the summer was over before he could go, but he was disappointed! Hope his excitement continues when he HAS to go everyday!!

Sonshine School-Bowling

2011-05-10T22:31:00.006-05:00

Today was Jackson's last day of Sonshine School . . . they had graduation practice this morning and then everyone got to go bowling. He had a great time with friends!

Mother's Day 2011

2011-05-08T21:24:00.008-05:00

We celebrated Mother's Day with Grammy and Papa in Effingham last night . . . and then at home today! We finally had a warm sunny day, so Dave put together Kayleigh's 1st birthday present (yep, from back in January) . . . a water table from Grammy & Papa! The kids LOVED playing with it this afternoon . . . . as well as going for a bike ride and practicing t-ball. Dave cooked supper out on the grill . . . pork chops, corn on the cob and potatoes! YUM! Kayleigh's first real "corn on the cob" experience! It was a great day.

Mother's Day Weekend 2011

2011-05-08T21:13:00.013-05:00

Celebrating Mother's Day with Grammy & Papa in Effingham . . .

Cardinals vs. Brewers

2011-05-06T23:59:00.005-05:00

Adventures in Port-de-Paix, Haiti

2011-05-05T14:21:00.016-05:00

Dave and Casey made it back safely from Port-de-Paix, Haiti at 1:30 am yesterday morning. We had a special church service last night, where they shared some of the stories from their trip and how God is doing some amazing things through Sonlight Academy. Click here, if you would like to view the entire service (it is an hour long). Here are just a few of the pictures . . . I am sure we will be adding to this as we look through more and the missionary teachers send us more via email.

2011-05-05T14:20:00.000-05:00

It's A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

2011-04-30T12:38:00.004-05:00

Dave @ Port-de-Paix, Haiti

2011-04-29T23:06:00.006-05:00

Dave is on a mission trip to Port-de-Paix, Haiti this week. He left with our Children Minister, Casey, on Monday evening. They are leading worship at a youth conference (Breakout) held at Sonlight Academy in Port-de-Paix, while their students are on Spring Break. This picture was posted by some of the teachers at the school on FB yesterday (missionaries our church supports) . . . Breakout ran Wednesday through Friday. Dave has been able to message me several times and after the first day, was overwhelmed by how loud the students sang. He said he hardly had to lead some of the songs! He sent word tonight, after the last day of Breakout, that it was awesome!! They are doing some hiking and having a little down time on Saturday and then church services Sunday morning and evening. They are staying Monday all day so they can see the school in session and bring back pictures and video. Our children's ministry at our church has a missionary partnership with Sonlight Academy, so seeing it in session was important to bring back to our kids. Thanks to all for your prayers for the Breakout Conference and preparing the hearts of the students that were able to attend. Please continue to pray for the encouragement and support Dave and Casey can provide the missionaries serving there as well as safe travels on Tuesday as they return home.

While Daddy's in Haiti . . .

2011-04-29T22:42:00.018-05:00

We spent several days at Grammy & Papa's house . . . went to see Rio, visited Great-Grandpa & Grandpa Jackson, visited Great-Grandma Mary at the nursing home, spent an evening playing with cousins (the Ritchie boys), and played outside (when it wasn't raining!!!). So nice to spend a few days out of our normal routine and to spend it with family!!

Easter 2011

2011-04-26T00:18:00.017-05:00

We started our Easter with Resurrection Cookies (didn't turn out quite the way they should have . . . think we'll try Resurrection Rolls next year). Then we celebrated at church, family dinner at Aunt Wendy and Uncle Jim's (with Grandma's awesome homemade noodles and baskets full of candy and goodies for the kids) and ended our day with an indoor Easter Egg Hunt at Grammy and Papa's.

Our time leading up to Easter was really fun this year, Kinsey and Jackson both really got the true message of Easter. It was fun reading books and bible stories, doing the Resurrection Eggs and watching videos with them as they continually understood facts and events of the last days of Jesus' life on earth.

Easter Egg Hunt & Veggie Tales Movie @ Church

2011-04-23T14:28:00.007-05:00

Preschool Easter Egg Hunt at our church this morning followed by the new Easter Veggie Tales movie. This was Kayleigh's first Egg Hunt at our church . . . she was more interested in trying to break open the eggs and get the candy out than to actually collect the eggs. She also found the trash can in the corner of the room and started taking the eggs over and dumping them in. I finally started carrying around the trash can for her to collect the eggs in rather than to the basket we brought! : )

Easter Art Projects

2011-04-23T14:13:00.004-05:00

We made these 2 Easter art projects this week . . . with Jackson on "spring break" from his preschools and lots of rain in the forecast, I knew we would need some creative things to keep us busy. We made "Stained Glass Windows" inspired by the Veggie Tales movie, "An Easter Carol". And the second project was a "Pinecone Bunny" that I found in the Family Fun Magazine. Rainy days are always more fun with art projects!!

Coloring Easter Eggs

2011-04-21T21:47:00.004-05:00

Jackson's 1st Trip to the Food Pantry

2011-04-21T14:15:00.000-05:00

Our local food pantry asks for churches to take turns each month volunteer staffing the food lines. This month was our turn! Dave took Jackson with him this past Thursday morning to help begin to teach him about "serving". We explained why and what he would be doing and he was really excited to get to help out. His job was to put a can of vegetables in everyone's basket and then to run back and get more boxes of vegetables when he ran out.

When he was finished, they were breaking down the cardboard boxes and cleaning up. He was really excited to bring home 4 divided boxes that he was going to use to build homes for his stuffed animals. He designed one for Kinsey's baby doll and then we taped together the other 3 to make an "apartment complex". He spent probably 2 hours coloring and designing each compartment. It was a great way to keep him busy and to use his imagination!!!

News at Our House this week . . .

2011-04-21T13:30:00.000-05:00

Jackson started tball practice this past week, which he is super excited about (his team is the Rockies), Kinsey got a new "big girl" princess bike that she LOVES (and figured out how to pedal forwards rather than going backwards and braking), and Kayleigh experienced her first Peep, which she really enjoyed (she LOVES ALL dessert)!!!

Jackson's Preschool Graduation

2011-04-14T22:53:00.011-05:00

Jackson had his first of two preschool graduations tonight. He graduated from "Wee Learn & Play" Preschool. They sang a few of the songs that they had learned during the year, complete with motions, said their pledges and quoted one of the memory verses they had learned. It was a cute program and we were of course VERY proud . . . he sang out really well and knew all the words and motions. Dave took video of a couple of the songs . . . hopefully I can get it posted soon.

Easter Party Playdate

2011-04-14T22:00:00.008-05:00

We got together this morning with friends for a fun Easter Party Playdate. The weather was beautiful, so we did a quick craft and then headed outside for an Easter Egg Hunt, playing and lunch. It was lots of fun!

Jamaica 2011-Work in Progress (more to come)

2011-04-13T22:31:00.000-05:00

Get-Away!

2011-04-04T15:28:00.003-05:00

Dave and I leave early Thursday morning for our 10th Anniversary trip to Negril, Jamaica.

A HUGE thanks to my parents for watching the kids for us while we are gone! We are very blessed!!

Opening Day 2011

2011-03-31T15:46:00.003-05:00

Kinsey and Kayleigh decked out in their matching Cardinals gear for Opening Day 2011. Kayleigh wasn't exactly "feeling" it . . . hoping her fussiness isn't a bad omen of the Cardinals 2011 Season! : )

Tangled!

2011-03-29T15:35:00.003-05:00

Our house was filled with much excitement and anticipation for the DVD/Blu-ray release of the newest Disney princess movie, Tangled! I had planned to save the movie back and put it in Kinsey's Easter basket, but she saw the commercials and signs at Walmart, so she knew it was coming! Plus I was just as excited as she was about it coming out! : ) Jackson was in preschool, so we made it a fun girls trip to the store to pick it up (after much price comparing & research and with my $5 coupon in hand) . . . it was perfect! She dressed up in her "Tangled" dress and clutched her "Tangled" Barbie and off to Walmart we went! We even scored a special bonus pack complete with a "Tangled" Brush and Comb (same price as the movie alone). Can't wait for our PJ Party/Movie Night tonight!

Meeting Baby Benjamin

2011-03-26T14:57:00.003-05:00

My sister's family came up from FL on their spring break so we could all meet my newest nephew, Benjamin Joel. Kayleigh really like getting to check him out . . . and poke him in the eyes and nose and steal his binky! What our cousins for, right?!! The big kids had a great time playing together and can't wait for them to come back in June to play OUTSIDE together this time. Our lovely IL weather provided snow for their spring break scenery, so the kids were stuck inside playing for their visit! Though they came up with lots of fun creative things to do together . . . they set up "bunk beds" in the back room for a pretend sleepover, made each other dizzy spinning in the office chair, and performed concerts and put on style shows! Lots of fun!!

Pool Playdate

2011-03-21T14:49:00.001-05:00

The moms from my table at MOPS met up at the Rec Center for a pool playdate this morning. Jackson and Kinsey had a GREAT time . . . Kayleigh, not so much! I think the water was mostly the issue, it was a bit chilly, but she just didn't want me to put her down! She did warm up a bit and let me sit her in the zero-entry end right before we left. Definitely something we'll have to do again (if we have time) before the City Pool opens Memorial Day weekend!

Kayleigh Faith- 14 months

2011-03-21T14:31:00.004-05:00

Kayleigh is saying more and more words ALL the time . . . she can now say "Baby", "Ball", "Tickle, tickle" (while holding out her arms and wiggling her fingers trying to tickle you!), "Me" (for "More"), "Uh-oh", "Bye", "Hi", "Mama", "Daddy", "Papa" and lots more babbling where she looks at you like you should know just what she means! She is very playful and loves to be chased, tickled and wrestled. Kayleigh LOVES playing outside and going for walks in the wagon with her big sister. They just giggle and squeal at each other the whole time! The weather this March has been crazy . . . one day it is snowing here and the next day it is 70+! So getting outside on a warm day is a must at our house . . . here is a picture of Kayleigh enjoying a warm afternoon in our backyard!

Spring is Here!!

2011-03-20T14:46:00.000-05:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

2011-03-17T22:13:00.004-05:00

Last Game of the Season

2011-03-05T20:52:00.013-06:00

Jackson had his last FCC basketball game of the season this morning. He played against his buddy Steven's team and they were even paired up to guard each other for one of the periods. Jackson made 2 baskets during the game today. Both of his sisters were dressed to cheer him on!!

He was really looking forward to getting his medal for finishing the season, but then got shy when we took his picture! And the most exciting news of the day . . . he gets to have a pizza party this week with his team!!
We really noticed drastic improvement this year . . . he made at least 1 basket every game and had 2-3 most games. He learned to dribble the ball a lot better, to pass more, and was much more aggressive at rebounding and stealing the ball. Now he is ready to move on to playing t-ball . . . in fact, he asked if I could get his tee out tomorrow so he could get started practicing!!

I Love You! from Kinsey

2011-03-04T20:19:00.003-06:00

Kinsey is really into signing "I love you!" right now . . . so here she is sending a little love your way!!

Kayleigh Faith- Walking (Part 2)

2011-03-04T13:39:00.001-06:00

Our Little Book Worms

2011-03-04T12:54:00.007-06:00

Our kids have gone through spurts of loving to sit and read and then being too busy doing things to want to sit. We have always made going to the library a fun activity getting to pick out new books that really interest each of them. (We no longer can attend the "Story time" that is offered because it runs at the same time as their Friday preschool.) Now that Jackson and Kinsey are getting older, it has been fun watching the books they pick out. Jackson loves the series of "Sight Word" book they have too . . . he can actually read them all by himself. I can always tell which ones are a hit based on the number of times I read them in a day! Here are some of their recent selections . . . all of which are a HUGE hit . . . and yes, I almost have them memorized : )

Jackson:
Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Jedi in Training
Transformers: Robot Roll Call
Iron Man: I Am Iron Man

Kinsey:
Disney Princess: Ballerina Princess (she LOVES this one SO much . . . she is already talking about taking dance lessons so she can dance like a princess . . . it is rivaling her obsession with Pinkalicious, Gigi and Fancy Nancy!)

Kayleigh:
OK, so she didn't pick any books out from the library, but she has recently enjoyed sitting to read more and more! I love catching them when they are "reading" on their own outside of or "normal" reading time.

Kayleigh Faith- Walking!!

2011-03-03T11:18:00.002-06:00

Jackson: 2011 FCC Basketball

2011-03-03T10:41:00.000-06:00

Jackson: Kindergarten Shots

2011-03-01T11:57:00.011-06:00

After watching Kayleigh get her 1 year shots in January, Jackson informed me that he would NOT be going to Kindergarten (prior to this he was very excited about going). I told him he would miss out on learning so many things . . . his response, "I don't need to go to Kindergarten, I'm learning a LOT in preschool!!" After that, he has woken up in the night a couple times crying about having to get shots and just being very anxious about it. So I called the health department and got him scheduled for them, so we could put the anxiety behind us!! And my biggest motivation was to get them done before his Kindergarten screening in March, or I was afraid he would politely tell his teacher that he did not need Kindergarten and wouldn't answer her questions. So yesterday was the day, we didn't tell him what he was doing, I dropped him off with Dave and he took him over lunch (I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to sufficiently restrain him.)

We are happy to report that Jackson survived his kindergarten shots!! After he screamed through the 1st one, he calmed down for the other 2 and afterward said, "I thought it would hurt like when I skin my knee on my bike, but it was more like a mosquito bite!" And a red dilly bar from DQ after sure helped too : ) Glad it is over so we can be excited about kindergarten again!!

Dave wrote: "I love how Jackson expresses himself by drawing pictures. He got his kindergarten shots today and was very scared. I had to help hold him and he did pretty good once the first shot was in. When we got home he drew this picture of a tooth and a needle. The dot next to his smiley face is the place where he got his shot. He made sure t point out that the tooth was smiling." We think he chose a tooth to draw because he got a toothbrush in a little take home bag after he got his shots!

The yellow sign was posted on his door yesterday morning before he left for the shots . . . it really has nothing to do with his shots, except that I wanted to remember how good he is getting at sounding things out to write down a short sentence or make a list. Let me translate, "Don't come in, air plane is going to take off!"

Kayleigh Faith - 13 months

2011-02-23T22:23:00.008-06:00

Kayleigh was 13 months old on Monday . . . just a few fun facts about our sweet, curious, playful and giggly baby girl.

Things she says . . ."Hi", "Bye", "Ma-ma", "Da-da", "Uh-uh" (uh-oh), and "Rock". She regularly signs "Please", "All done" and "Hi/Bye". She cries everytime she sees a kleenex or washcloth coming her way . . . and can spot a cupcake, cookie or dessert from across the room!!

She took 4 steps on February 13th at our friend's house for small group. She has taken 1-2 steps since but crawling gets her there faster, so she isn't all that interested in learning the whole walking thing! She moves fast if she is walking behind something . . . and often gets creative about what she uses: a stool, chair, toy shopping cart/stroller, pretty much whatever she can find! She also started standing up without pulling up on something on February 13th.

Her favorite toys: anything that plays music (so cute watching her bop to the music), play kitchen and tea set, the TV remote and Daddy's cell phone. Her favorite past-time: playing "peek-a-boo", opening kitchen cabinets and drawers and emptying the contents on the floor while Mommy isn't watching, pulling folded laundry off the couch, climbing in her little rocking chair and "rocking", and crawling after her brother and sister and waiting for them to open the bathroom door so she can get to the potty and trash can! : ) Kayleigh also LOVES bathtime . . . she stands by the side of the bath while we run the water and leans over trying to start splashing as soon as the water is high enough to reach! It is a great evening activity if she is getting fussy before bedtime . . . cheers her up everytime! She has loved being outside this past week . . . swinging and going for walks around the neighborhood.

In the past couple weeks, she has gotten much more affectionate . . she has started giving "hugs" back and snuggling in when we hold her and even tucking her arms in, wanting us to squeeze her for a tight hug! She loves to be tickled and play wrestle/tackle.

Though I thought Kayleigh was really taking to milk when I first introdcued it to her . . . that is not so much the case now. She LOVES to drink water, of all things . . . her favorite foods (right now): blueberries, bananas, mandarin oranges, grapes, applesauce, pb&j, steamed broccoli, string cheese, pizza and lasagna. She has always been pretty serious about her food, but since being weaned, she is even more serious about it. As a result, she has chunked up quite a bit . . . she has gained 2-3 lbs in the past month . . . and is close to 20 lbs. now! Dave turned her carseat around last night and she really enjoyed the car ride this morning to the church getting to see everything! She has 7-8 teeth as of now, but that could change at a moment's notice . . . she has been "teething" for a few weeks!

Girls' Night

2011-02-20T17:07:00.004-06:00

While the boys enjoyed their night at Monster Jam . . . the girls and I had a fun evening! We went out to dinner with a friend and her baby . . . Kayleigh and Kinsey had a ball splashing in the bath together (I couldn't resist a picture) . . . Kinsey and I snuggled up on the couch after Kayleigh went to bed and watched a princess movie and painted our finger and toe nails (hot pink of course). Kinsey's smile says it all!

Monster Jam 2011

2011-02-20T16:37:00.011-06:00

Dave and Jackson went to their 1st Monster Jam last night in St. Louis with some friends. Our friend scored some pit passes, so the boys took off after lunch and got to spend the afternoon seeing the trucks up close, meeting the drivers, signing their name to one of the cars that got smashed during the show and other fun things. As soon as Jackson got home late last night, he told me all about his favorite truck, Mohawk Warrior and showed me his monster truck tattoo and the checkered flag he brought home! Definitely a fun Boys' Night!!

Enjoying the warmer weather . . .

2011-02-20T16:13:00.007-06:00

We have had an awesome week of weather . . . temps near 70 almost everyday! The last piles of snow around town have completely melted away and a glimmer of hope that we might someday experience spring is renewed. With all the snow and ice this winter, I was honestly beginning to wonder if we would ever see it disappear! We have been playing outside as much as possible . . . though everything around here is still really muddy! The kids didn't have preschool on Friday, so we took a little road trip to a State Park that has some bike trails and took along the kids' bikes. It was a nice change of scenery to ride their bikes around the lake marina.

2011 FCC Basketball

2011-02-20T14:49:00.003-06:00

My Funny Little Valentines

2011-02-14T15:45:00.009-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day 2011!! Now that Kayleigh is very mobile (she took 4 steps last night at our friend's house and even stood up without pulling up on something), trying to capture a picture of all 3 together with everyone looking and smiling is VERY difficult, so here is the best that I could do! I also snapped one of each of them individually and some other candid ones. . . trying to capture their sweet smiles and infectious laughter! 11 years ago today, David asked me to marry him! Hard to believe!! It has been a fun and sometimes wild ride that I'm very blessed to be on! Today we also celebrate my parent's 35th anniversary!! Happy Valentine's Day all!!

Kayleigh's Favorite Chair

2011-02-14T15:35:00.006-06:00

Kayleigh LOVES the little wooden rocking chair in our living room. These pictures were taken a week and a half ago . . . everytime I walked into the living room, I would find that Kayleigh had climbed up into this chair and was sitting and watching the other two playing! I think part of it was the new challenge of mastering the climb, but she loves to "rock" and wave "hi" as we pass by! Kinsey couldn't resists climbing up in the chair with Kayleigh when I snapped these!

Ice Storm 2011

2011-02-14T15:29:00.003-06:00

The view from our front windows . . . fortunately the ice storm did not end up being quite as "epic" as originally predicted. We did lose power from 8 pm one night until 5:30 am the next morning and had a family sleepover around the fireplace in the living room.

Kayleigh Faith - 1 year

2011-02-02T22:13:00.016-06:00

Jackson's 1st Basketball Game

2011-02-02T22:05:00.011-06:00

Jackson had his first basketball game of the season on Saturday. What a difference a year makes, Jackson was much more aggressive, made 3 baskets and was really into the game the whole time!! It was a lot of fun to watch!! Kinsey was almost just as excited as he was . . . she had her pink cheer outfit and Illini pom-pom all ready to go the night before!

1st Day of Wee-Wildcat Preschool

2011-02-02T22:02:00.000-06:00

Jackson and Kinsey are both old enough to go to Wee-Wildcat Preschool this year. Kinsey was especially excited about going to her very 1st day of preschool. She had been talking about it for weeks before . . . she kept telling us that she was BIG and could go to school with Jackson!!

Jackson Turns 5

2011-02-02T21:41:00.000-06:00

Jackson really wanted to have a "Boys Only" Diego themed birthday party this year. So we found a time that Grammy could have a special "Girls Only" sleepover with Kinsey and Kayleigh. And we were even able to have his cousin Nathanael come to sleepover the night before the party. Jackson was so excited . . . he even wore a vest and backpack like Diego does! They decorated their "Field Journals" at the "Rescue Center", got their "Rescue Badges", went on an "Animal Rescue" scavenger hunt, and much more! They all seemed to have a GREAT time and so did the birthday boy. It was special for him to get to have some "Boy Only" time and celebrate his special day! How can he be 5 already!? It is hard to believe!!

"Nathanael & Jackson Fishing" by Jackson

2011-01-25T22:48:00.013-06:00

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Phone Call with Kayleigh . . .

2011-01-25T22:00:00.005-06:00

Happy 34th Birthday Daddy!

2011-01-18T14:53:00.002-06:00

Kayleigh's 1st taste of milk

2011-01-18T14:29:00.004-06:00

Kayleigh will celebrate her 1st birthday this Friday so I started weaning her yesterday (1/17). She loves drinking water from her sippy cup, so I am hopeful that she will like milk just as much and make it an easy transition. So last night at supper was her first taste . . . and she seemed to really like it. She grabbed her cup and starting drinking without a flinch or a look like "what is this stuff!" So, knock on wood, this might be the easiest transition of any of the kids! We shall see : )

Getting closer . . .

2011-01-18T14:20:00.003-06:00

Kayleigh has passed the other two kid's walking milestones by a month now, but she really doesn't seem to mind. Jackson was walking at 9 months and Kinsey at 11 months, but Kayleigh is content to cruise around the furniture and speed crawl. I even caught her doing this yesterday . . . .

Celebrating with Grammy and Papa

2011-01-15T17:13:00.005-06:00

Jackson's 5th Birthday

2011-01-15T16:54:00.009-06:00

Look who's 5!!! We celebrated Jackson's birthday on Friday . . . he, of course, wanted to open his present right away . . . he even lined up his Toy Story friends to watch! He spent all morning building and playing Legos with Daddy. He chose Applebee's for lunch, because they sing to you and give you free icecream! I made one of his favorites for supper, Mexi-Cali Rice and we finished the day with icecream at DQ and lots of phone calls from family. We also showed him pictures of my Grandpa Henderson, who would have shared his 90th birthday with him. It was a GREAT day!

Snow Days

2011-01-15T16:43:00.005-06:00

We got 5 inches of snow this past week and Jackson's preschool was canceled both days. It was nice to slow down and catch up on some things around the house. And we had to come up with some creative activities to keep us all busy and sane! It was REALLY cold, so we brought snow inside to make indoor snowmen . . . they both came up with fun ideas to accessorize them. And we got out our play tents and made forts . . . even Kayleigh got to enjoy that part!

Good Bye!

2011-01-15T16:40:00.002-06:00

Kinsey all dressed up to send Grandma, Grandpa, Aidan and Ciara off in style . . .

Cousin Sleepover

2011-01-15T16:32:00.007-06:00

Jackson and Kinsey were SO excited to have their first sleepover guests!! Ciara and Aidan got to be our special visitors their last night in IL . . . not sure much sleep happened, but they had a lot of fun!

The highlight for Dave and I was at bedtime, when our kids went around giving Aidan and Ciara their "blessing" before bed. We have been doing this for several months now (from our Faith@Home series at church; Numbers 6:24-26) and it was SO great seeing our kids then taking it upon themselves to give their guests their "blessing" too!

Gingerbread Houses

2011-01-14T16:16:00.007-06:00

Dave's family grew up making gingerbread houses Thanksgiving weekend every year. So while Grandma and Grandpa Jarrett were here for their visit, I thought it would be fun to bring back that tradition. We had some structural issues while building our houses and ate more candy than ended up on the houses, but it was fun for everyone to work together, be creative and build memories. Here are a few pictures of the masterpieces. And Jackson's very sad reaction when his house came tumbling down!!

Jarrett Family Christmas

2010-12-29T22:56:00.000-06:00

We had a fun day visiting in Lincoln with Dave's family. It was great to see both the Wilson Family and the Sheets Family all in one visit. And they had a great play area for the kids . . . they had a wonderful time playing together!!

Top L- Kinsey and Grandpa
Top R- Playing Games
Middle L- Luke & Aidan
Middle R- Ciara, Kayleigh and Josiah
Bottom L- Nathanael & Jackson

Henderson Christmas

2010-12-27T22:47:00.008-06:00

Christmas Cousins

2010-12-26T15:34:00.001-06:00

Posing in front of Grammy and Papa's Christmas tree before Church.

Christmas Morning at Grammy & Papa's

2010-12-25T15:57:00.009-06:00

Christmas Eve Morning at Home

2010-12-24T21:30:00.010-06:00

Making Christmas Cookies . . .

2010-12-24T21:24:00.003-06:00

Kayleigh Faith - 11 months

2010-12-23T14:37:00.000-06:00

Kayleigh can say "Hi!", "bye", "nigh-nigh", "all done" and makes the "ma-ma" and "da-da" sounds though I'm not sure she actually knows what they mean. She signs "all done" and "please". She has 5 teeth, but has been working on more for a while. At our Staff Christmas Party (12/22) she was standing holding something and let go . . . she stood for several seconds without holding anything (that was a first).

Playdate with Ellie & Lincoln

2010-12-21T23:56:00.003-06:00

My Aunt Connie brought Ellie and Lincoln Young up to my parent's house for a visit this afternoon. The kids had such a great time playing together! They kept us all entertained . . . they took turns singing Christmas carols, made multiple costume changes and finished with this "Modern Nativity Scene". Ellie is a Wiseman bringing her "truck" gift, Jackson posed as an Angel, Claire as Mary, Lincoln cheesing it up as Joseph and Kinsey curled up in the "basket manger" as Baby Jesus.

Making Edible Snowman with Claire & Blake

2010-12-21T23:55:00.003-06:00

Josiah in THCC Christmas Program

2010-12-21T23:54:00.004-06:00

Jackson Family Christmas

2010-12-21T23:51:00.004-06:00

I've Got the Joy!

2010-12-17T23:32:00.002-06:00

Ice and snow can't squelch the joy in our house . . .

Merry Christmas 2010

2010-12-17T23:28:00.002-06:00

Sonshine School

2010-12-14T14:39:00.002-06:00

Jackson had his last day of Sonshine School in 2010 . . . they did some fun Christmas activities today and he came home with this ornament that he made!

Snowy Day

2010-12-14T14:36:00.003-06:00

Christmas Party

2010-12-10T14:46:00.004-06:00

Shotgun Season

2010-12-06T00:25:00.004-06:00

David shot his first deer with his muzzleloader on Friday morning . . . a button buck.

He took Jackson out with him for the field dressing. It didn't phase him a bit. He thought it was cool. Dave was so proud of him!

Kinsey after seeing the deer on the trailblazer, "Great job Daddy! Now we can eat it. When you gonna cut it up?"

Kayleigh Faith - 10 Months

2010-12-05T23:15:00.009-06:00

Kayleigh is really starting to show her personality.

She LOVES to say "HI!" and says it pretty much ALL the time (except when we actually ask her to!!) It is so fun to get her out of her crib in the morning or from nap . . . as soon as you walk through the door she pops up and starts saying "HI!" over and over and gets all excited for you to get her out!!

She loves playing peek-a-boo by pulling a blanket (or article of clothing) over her head . . . waits for you to ask "Where is Kayleigh?" and then slowly pulls it off with an ornery smile!

She is also getting very good at walking behind a push toy . . . won't be long before she'll be taking off without any help!!

Kayleigh is such a good eater!! I have yet to give her something that she won't at least try . . . she wasn't a big fan of broccoli baby food, but when I offered her some that had been steamed and cut up, she ate it right up!!

So far she seems like a mischievous, fun-loving, "go with the flow" kind of girl!

Thank You!

2010-12-05T22:49:00.006-06:00

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Jarrett for our matching Christmas dresses! Kinsey's favorite feature . . . that it floats out when she spins!! She has been doing a lot of spinning today!!

"We Wish You a Merry Christmas"-FCC Christmas Program

2010-12-05T22:46:00.002-06:00