Christmas Baking and 18 month check up

We have been baking for the last two days. Gingerbread cookies and secret choc chip cookies. Check out my link to my gluten free blog for pictures and details. All I can say is YUMMO! Rachel would be proud. Wonder if food network wants a gluten free spinoff!

Here I am trying to get BOTH kids to look at me so I can get a good picture of both helping me mix the batter... so I did the rabbit ears on my head... what do they do...smile AND do the same thing.. That is a "real" moment. Jackson loving me up for surprising him with a gingerbread cookie recipe that HE can eat. We had such a great time making it together.

My surprise to Jackson. These are the GF pancakes that I make but he asked for a xmas tree pancake.. WHAT. I can do pumpkins and mickey mouse... HA.. I found a cookie cutter and made ONE... that was enough to get him to stop asking for xmas tree pancakes.

Our next project...

Our weekend project. HEADS UP.. the willy wonka kit SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!! Frosting drips and runs..

Jenna had her 18 month check up today... 90% for weight... no surprise in my family.. 27lbs.. She is 85% for height....33" and head is 49% which is WAY better than Jacksons.. he was near 100% all the time. She is doing GREAT. NO SHOTS So mom is ok. MMR will wait for another half a year or year.. the other shot Pevnar or something like that will wait due to shortage and hep shot will wait until she is 2. Just delaying and she is doing well so far. We are all forgoing the flu shot and trying to keep healthy with vitamins and proper handwashing... less chemicals the better for Jackson at least.

Thanksgiving.... this one holiday means soo much!

We visited the cities for Thanksgiving this year. Not only did we celebrate Thanksgiving with a TON of wonderful food, family time, laughs and memories we celebrated Jacksons birthday...again! It was a BLAST! Jackson said his prayers and a few people stated what they are thankful for. Jackson stated that he is thankful for his family. Whew... Just a few tears came at that moment.. but then again I am a sap!

Here are a few things he got from Papa and Nana for his birthday.. Playground Wii game. This is SOOOO cool!!! He has had a blast playing with this. Kung Fu Panda movie.. we have not seen it yet and plan on watching it today.

Jenna and Grandma D reading a book together. It was such a precious thing to watch.

Great Grandpa D and Jackson. Oh.. this picture brings tears to my eyes. I love my Grandpa sooo much and miss both him and Grandma D. I hope and pray my marriage lasts and is strong as theirs is.

ARRRRR... Matie.. A gift from Grandpa J and Grandma D... A treasure chest with pirate costume inside... tooo cute! He also go "tickets"... aka.. money to buy something that he wants. For now we will put it away and he can decide later.

Jacksons birthday hat from Hannah... his cousins showered him with home made crafts for his party. I am also giving him a box of chocolates. Funny story. We delivered a box of chocolates to a client whom we did a remodel for. After that he started asking if we could build him a house.. I was like.. not now hon..maybe when you are 25.. .what about an apartment building?? No.... (laugh... ) why are you asking this? Well, I want a box of chocolates tooo!! That cracks me up that he associates getting a box of chocolates with building a home or apartment. So we got him a small box of chocolates for his birthday.

Happy Birthday to you!! Cha Cha Cha!

Jacksons George Birthday Cake...

Bozo the bird... Grandpa J's bird...

Jenna checking out Bozo.

Jackson in his tie and birthday hat!

We are sso thankful for being with our family this Thanksgiving and that everyone is healthy. We missed the family that we were not with but everyone was in our thoughts and prayers!

Happy Turkey Day... gobble gobble!

Jenna potty trained????

We have been busy setting up the christmas tree since we are going to have a few busy weekends. It was a lot of fun to do this because of Jacksons age this year. Jackson had a BLAST looking through the box of ornaments that are HIS. He reminds me a lot of me when I was younger and how Christmas is such a magical time. The lights, sparkles, etc. I love christmas. Here are pictures of the kiddos setting up. Jenna just liked to look at the decorations and take them off the tree as fast as we put them on. Towards the end she did better at leaving them be.

So you have to check this out. Can you tell Jenna has watched her brother pee one too many times! This "cracks me up" as Jackson says in this video.

Here is my other little performer.... he loves to dance and sing... ;) ENJOY!

Ties, Pudding, Singing and Deers... Yah.. my life is kinda boring this week

Not a whole lot of AMAZING things going on which I am actually thankful for. We spent the weekend at the farm hunting. Do you realize how CLEAR you can think when walking out in the woods or in cattails... looking for deer. Do you know how FRICKING SCARY it is to see a while tail pop up 5 feet in front of you... knowing there are three grown men with guns waiting to shoot it.... Ok.. it was a bit of a rush. I did really enjoy my time of just quiet... walking, hearing the branches crack under my feet, reflecting on my life and the amazing blessings I have been given... maybe it WAS an amazing weekend! Anyway. Here is Jackson with his ties. He has wanted a tie since Baby Katies baptism. I finally found one at the thrift store for him and Grandma had one too. He wore these around for a while. Jenna with frosting. I am not one of these moms who restrict their kids of sugar... we don't hand it out all the time but you know what... they get treats. This was a BIG treat cuz it was gluten and frosting. Graham Crackers and frosting... she loved it.... licked and licked...

Can you tell she LOVED it!

JACKSON..... JACKSON... We were waiting for Jackson to get off the school bus... she just sits there and yells... JACKSON! Then when the school bus pulls up she runs to the front door.

Barrys Deer. I am not big on killing things...esp cute things... but I have to think of it as this is a blessing cuz it is feeding our bodies... or will once we butcher and process it. I even helped drag it to the truck... Dead deer weight a LOT!

I tried to upload a video of my Jackson but it did not work and I am just too frustrated to try again! Night All!

I like to Move it Move it!!!

Jenna loves to read... this day we peeked around the corner and Jenna was sitting on this HUGE puppy and reading a book... soo happy and content. We were eating lunch and singing.. this is the new favorite song in the family!! Jenna even gets into it.

Here is Jenna showing off her new trick to me... It is soo blurry.. can't figure that out yet.

Happy Birthday Jackson

Happy Birthday to Jackson... wow.. 5 years old. Where does the time go. We started out the day with a gluten free donut and egg sandwich on REAL bread.... (we have allergy drops for those special days like this where we allow him real wheat products in excess... so far so good) then he went out with Dad doing... guy things... and was surprised by Auntie Lissa, Uncle Ryan, Hannah and Hunter with a REAL donut and balloon... BIG HIT.. the donut was gone before he could say thank you. Then Mom ran out.. got his last minute last birthday gift. Barry just about killed me.... another webkin.. Then I got home and he opened his gifts. We had a piece of paper with Pooh on it and he has to look up a website that I wrote down. He is going to Disney Live in December... so he got to see a video of it.... that is what this first picture is of. Jackson and his new friend CoCo... he is a dinasour.

Jacksons tool belt. Now that the boys have a shop Jackson loves to go over there and create things... it was time he had a REAL tool belt and REAL tools... mom is a little nervous but I actually found these "stubby" tools... just his size!

Ahh.. the proud papa surprising Jackson with a speed square...which he recently taught Jackson to use.

A video from this morning... Jackson was watching Matagascar on the computer (playing games on the Matagascar 2 site) and dancing to the characters.

Jackson kept asking where his party was.. and I think he finally understood that we were not doing a friends/family party this year but rather doing a few parties.... we had one last weekend at the farm... on Thanksgiving he will have another party in the big city...then another at papa and nana's.. 3 parties.. he was pretty stoked!

Random Stuff

So with trying to keep myself busy this week I have decided to rearrange the kids rooms. This is Jacksons standing in the hall looking in. I made a little library area for him with our calendar time and then I moved his dresser into his closet and turned his bed so he has a TON of room. Don't know why I had to do this but i am glad I did.. it is pretty nice. Jenna.. .the cone head!

"I don't know"... we just can't get enough of this!

My stud muffin. It is hard to believe that 5 years ago tomorrow night my Jackson was born. Boy.. has it been a ride. This child has tested every last bit of patience in my body and some days I really did not believe that I could do it... but this childs soul is what kept me going. I see through those eyes down to his soul and he is a WONDERFUL human being that is going to make a difference in this world some day. He has already made a difference in mine. No matter what..this child has changed my life forever... he makes me look at things differently everyday and there is never a dull day around Jackson. Happy Birthday my 5 year old... I love you to the moon and back!

Jackson and I being goofy...

I LOVE this video. I was supposed to be heading to a purse party but had to get this on video. Being Jackson is a big boy now he likes to take showers. Here is Jackson... well, doing what everyone does in the shower.... right?

Jackson showing off what we taught him. This took Jackson roughly a week to learn... he amazes me every day!